Percy Jackson The Guardian?
by daughterofthehunt
Summary: When Pitch Black starts getting stronger and starts gaining more power, the Man in the Moon chooses someone with even more strength and power to help the guardians defiet him once and for all. But how will Percy Jackson react when he is taken to a place he'd stopped believing in since he was seven? Full credit goes to DWA and R.R. T for some fiolent sceens. COMPLETE
1. A New Guardian

Jack Frost, the newest and youngest immortal guardian, was flying around and enjoying the feeling of the wind he loved brush against his face. He was looking around for any place that needed his help, like a child in need or a lake that needed freezing, when he came across a little town that looked very familiar.

Instantly, Jack stopped flying and started falling toward the earth. When he was about an inch from the ground, the wind grabbed him and he hovered above the snow.

A little girl noticed him and waved. Jack recognized her. He's been in this neighborhood too many times to _not_ recognize the children here. He waved back but didn't stop to talk. He zoomed low over the snow-covered sidewalk, too fast to be seen.

When he found the right house, he stopped abruptly. He had reached his destination. Slowly, he hovered outside a window and peeked inside. The room obviously belonged to a young boy. There were clothes and toys on the floor, a bed lay unmade and the drawers were left open. Jack opened the window and crept in. He shut the window behind him. When the door to the bedroom opened, Jack noiselessly hid in the closet.

A little boy, Jamie, ran in and rushed toward the sleigh that leaned agents the wall. He was about to leave when he noticed the temperature had dropped a few degrees. With a confused expression on his face, Jamie turned around. When he saw Jack (who had sneaked out of the closet and was now casually standing by the window) Jamie laughed with delight.

"Jack!" he said and ran toward his friend, attacking him with a hug.

"Hi Jamie," Jack said, laughing along with the 10 year old.

"Jack I was just about to have a snowball fight with my friends. Wana come?" Jamie asked Jack with pleading eyes. Jack laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said with a big grin on his face. Jack and Jamie raced down the stairs and ran for the door.

"Bye Mom," Jamie called to his mother.

All of Jamie's friends were waiting in the park. Even Cupcake showed up. Jack couldn't help but notice that she looked really happy to be with her friends. When everyone saw Jack walking alongside Jamie, there smiles widened.

"Hi Jack! Come to join us?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," Jack said.

"Awesome!" Avery said, and threw the snowball she had hidden behind her back, starting the fight.

After a good hour and a half, the kids started getting tired and went home. Only Jamie, Jack, Billy, Avery and Cupcake remained. They were too busy to notice Billy's 14 year old older sister, Aundraia walking up to them. She cleared her throat and everyone looked at her.

"Billy, Mom said she's mad at you for not coming when you said you would, so she sent me to come get you."

"What time is it?" Billy asked surprised.

"Four thirty," she said.

"Wow, I _am_ late." Billy said. "Sorry Aundraia. I lost track of time."

"Whatever," Aundraia said pulling out her phone.

"Sorry guys," Billy said. "I got to go. Bye Jack, bye Jamie, bye Cupcake." At that Aundraia looked up.

"Who's Jack?" she asked.

"One of my friends," Billy said, gesturing to empty space. At least, that's what she saw. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't have time for any of your imaginary friends Billy. Let's go," she said, dragging her little brother by his arm. Soon they were out of sight.

"She's a joy to have around," Avery said, sarcasm dripping off her words.

"She doesn't believe in me," Jack said. "Do you know if she believes in the rest of us? Like Sandy, Tooth or North I mean."

"Sorry Jack but I don't think so. Apparently all she does is sit around on her phone and text. For the past four years now, she's been making Billy leave out the milk and cookies for Santa," Jamie said sadly.

"Thanks Jamie. Let's get you home before your mom comes after you too," Jack said with a playful smile on his face.

"Ok, bye guys," he said waving to his friends and they waved back as they walked home as well.

After a while of playing go Fish with Jamie (and loosing) Jack looked out the window.

"Oh no," he said. Jamie, who was surprised at his friend's sudden seriousness, followed his gaze to the window.

"Wow!," Jamie exclaimed. In the night sky above, a collection of beautiful lights of all different colors danced so gracefully in the sky.

"Something's wrong," Jack said, getting up and walking toward the window.

"Wait, you're leaving? But you just got here!" Jamie complained.

"Actually, it's been about five hours since I got here. Jaime, the guardians need me. Something's wrong," Jack said.

"You will come back right?" Jamie pleaded.

"Of course," Jack said with a smile, and then he dashed out the window.

**(Page break)**

When Jack got to the North Pole, he found three of the other guardians already there. Sandy (the Sand Man), Tooth (the Tooth Fairy), and North (Santa,) were discussing why they were all gathered when Jack entered.

"…I'll tell you when everybody gets here! I don't want to explain it twice," North said with a heavy Russian accent. In golden sand above his head, Sandy showed a picture of a sleeping child, then a clock.

"I know it's almost time for you to send the dreams but this is important!" North said.

Silently, Jack laughed. Nobody noticed he was there. Looking around, he noticed the ground start to sink in, forming a hole and a tall bunny hopped out of it. This caught the other guardians' attention.

"Nice of you to join us Kangaroo," Jack said as he casually leaned on his staff. Bunnymund (the Easter Bunny) ignored the guardian of fun.

"What's this all about North?" he asked in an Australian accent.

"Ahh, now that you are all here, I will tell you," North said. "Man in Moon told me in a dream to call this meeting. He said he had something serious to tell us."

"Well, we are all gathered, and I don't see MiM." Bunny pointed out.

"Hey, I just did as he said," North defended. Tooth, getting tired of this, tried to break up the fight. The other two guardians just stood to the side, watching the others argue-Jack with a bemused look on his face and Sandy with a bored one.

Jack was enjoying the argument when he felt a little hand pulling on his pants leg. Jacked looked down at Sandy, who pointed at the window where the moon was shining through.

"Um guys…" Jack tried to get the others' attention but they kept arguing.

"Guys!" Jack yelled again with no progress.

Figuring yelling wasn't going to help, Jack slammed his staff on the ground hard. Frost covered every inch of the walls and the wind picked up. Some of the little elves got their feet frozen to the floor. The guardians noticed this and looked at the winter spirit. With annoyance in his eyes, Jack pointed to the skylight.

"Finally!" Tooth said.

"What's going on old friend?" North asked just as the moon's light touched the design on the floor. Instantly a black shadow appeared.

"Pitch!?" Tooth asked and a whole bunch of shadows came out from behind Pitch's small shadow.

"What does _that_ mean?" Jack asked.

"It means…" North paused. "The Nightmare King is more powerful than the last time he was defeated."

"How is that possible?" Bunny asked.

"I don't know but it's bad," North said. Slowly, a huge bluish-white diamond came out of the ground where the moonlight shown through.

"Um what's going on?" Jack said.

"He… He's choosing a new guardian," Bunny said. The light surged through the crystal and formed a wall of light. Every one held their breath, wondering who the next guardian would be. Well, Bunny was just hoping it wasn't the groundhog. An image appeared inside the wall of light. The image was of a boy, with black hair and determined eyes. In his hands he held a shield and sword.

"Who the heck is that?" Jack asked.

North smiled. "That is Percy Jackson."

"Who?" Bunny asked and North sighed.

"He is a very powerful hero," North explained. "Either way, he will have to be brought here. Any volunteers?"

"I'll go get the sack," Bunny said and was about to turn when North grabbed his sash (which held his exploding eggs and boomerang.)

"Hold on there," he said. "If you shove him in a sack, he would be able to escape. He has a sword."

"Ok then get a sack that cannot be ripped?" Tooth suggested.

"No. When we open it he may not trust us and we want him to trust us," North said. "And he's human so I doubt he'd be able to see us."

"How old is he?" Tooth asked.

"Eighteen," North said.

"Wait he's mortal and he's being chosen to be a guardian?" Bunny asked.

"Well, Pitch is getting more powerful so we need someone more powerful as well," North said.

"Just how powerful is he?" Bunny asked and North smiled.

"You'll see," he said.

"Back to the point. How are we going to get him here?" Tooth asked.

"First we just need to get him to believe," North said and all eyes were on Jack, who was quietly just listening.

"What?" he asked.

"Well you're the best with kids," Bunny said.

"Yeah, young kids about the age of eleven or younger. Not eighteen year olds," Jack said.

"Well Frostbite, what do you recommend we do?" Bunny asked.

"First of all, I don't think shoving him in a sack and tossing him in a magic portal is the best idea," Jack said. At that, all the guardians looked sad that they weren't going to use the sack.

"I think North is right," Jack continued. "Maybe we should get him to believe in us first, if he doesn't already."

"Good, then you go," North said.

"I don't even know where to go," Jack said and the image of the newest guardian faded and in its place was a map. Jack walked over to it and saw a single blue dot further northeast in the United States.

"New York?" Tooth asked.

"Wait, I can't do this," Jack said.

"Oh come on Frostbite, what are ya…scared?" Jack glared at him.

"I am _not _scared. I'm just, not allowed to go in that area for some reason," Jack said. A question mark appeared over Sandy's head.

"Oh come on. How are you 'not allowed'?" Bunny asked.

"I don't know, but for some reason, there is like a force field around that place. I try every year to get in there, but I'm always pushed back. My snow can get in but when I try to make it snow harder, the extra snow would just fly over the force field," Jack was already weirded out by this place, and now he would probably have to go there. Great. North laughed.

"That is how you know we're in the right place," he said.

"Look Mate, if you're too weirded out, I'll go instead. I'd like to meet this powerful mortal," Bunny said with a grin. Jack looked at the Man in the Moon and he saw a picture of himself flying across the map towards the blue dot.

"Thanks Bunny but I think I have to go," Jack said. The other guardians looked at the map.

"Oh," Bunny said

"Jack, I want you to take this," North said and gave him his snow globe portal.

"Really?" jack asked.

"Sure," North said. "If I'm right, he won't be able to fly. I think the portal will be the only possible way for him, other than walking, but I don't recommend that." Jack smirked at the thought of walking from New York to Santoff Claussen. That would be pretty hard.

"Thanks North," Jack said and he shook the snow globe. When all the snow was at the bottom, the Empire State Building was standing the middle. Jack threw it. When it landed on the ground, a bunch of colors appeared in mid-air, creating a portal, and Jack waved as he stepped through it.

**A.N.**

**If says that I updated this twice but that is because when I'd closed this document to update it, I accidently clicked "Don't Save" so all the mistakes were still on the doc. Because of that, I deleted it to fix the mistakes again. I don't know how to fix it otherwise. Sorry if there was any confusion.**


	2. You See The Flying Boy Too, Right?

**Thank you so much for all of the great reviews! I had no idea this story would get so popular. Especially overnight. Thank you so much for your support. If you have not read the 'Mark of Athena' yet,(fat chance) I would skip the beginning of the second POV in this chapter. It contains major spoilers.**

**ThaliaDaphneJackson12** I don't think I'm going to pair Jack up with anyone. There will be Percabeth though. Thx 4 ur review.

**Shur'tugal Daughter of Artemis **I don't watch Fairly Odd

Parents but thanks for your awesome review.

**theHuntress101 **Yes this does takes place after the 2nd giant war. I forgot to put it in the summery. I might make Annabeth be there. At least that was the original idea… Jack doesn't know about Greek mythology. All he knows is that Percy is powerful. North didn't give out ant more info then that. So Jack would have no idea where Mt. Olympus is, let alone how to get in.

**RyuNoRainbow **Yeah, I guess I feel bad for him too-and I'm the one writing it! :D

**Ivy night **whoa calm down. I can only write so fast. I bet you hate it when you're fav authors get writers block don't you? Here's the next chapter.

**Special thanks to ****Im-In-Love-With-PJO, ****A Little Lost 1, TheCursedOne, and PJO is the best. **

**Chapter 2 You See the Flying boy Too, Right?**

Jack walked out of the portal and found he was standing right in front of The Empire State. He looked around for the black-haired boy with the sea green eyes but could not see anyone that looked anything like that. So to get a better view, he flew to the very top of the Empire State Building.

"Wind, take me to 3.141 Farm Road, Long Island," Jack said to his old companion. Instantly, Jack felt the wind grab him and he was immediately flying towards the soon-to-be guardian. But Jack didn't realize how close the boundary actually was. One minute he was flying and the next thing he knew, he was tossed back into a giant pine tree.

"Ow," Jack mumbled to himself, rubbing his head. At least he knew he was where he needed to be, which apparently was in the middle of nowhere. Jack walked around perimeter of the boundary trying to find a weakness but was unsuccessful.

"How am I supposed to finish this mission if I can't even get through?" Jack asked MiM, who didn't reply with an answer.

"If I can't get in, I'll just have to wait for him to come out," Jack thought to himself and he settled down on one of the lower branches of the pine. He didn't remember falling asleep but he must have because he woke up to find a pair of chestnut eyes looking directly at him.

**(Page Break)**

Although it was dark, Maddy saw the flying boy run into the boundary line perfectly. The boy was almost impossible to miss. He had hair as white as snow and skin as pale as a son of Hades. Maddy watched with curious eyes as the boy (who seemed no older than the oldest camper there) was flying – yes flying – straight towards the boundary. However, she was a bit surprised when he was bounced back into a pine tree. But she was even more surprised when he seemed fine except for a head bump. A normal mortal would have ended up with a broken back or something.

"Heck, a normal mortal would not be able to fly at all," Maddy reminded herself. When she noticed he just moved to a lower part of the tree and began to sleep, Maddy grabbed her dagger, got up and started walking toward the odd boy. She hesitated when she got to the boundary line. The last time she was on the other side of the boundary was when she was trying to get in… she tried not to think about it.

After a long hesitation she decided to try it. After all, it's not like she was going very far and she could just run back to safety at the first sign of danger. She'd always prided herself on her ability to run very fast. And she was armed. Cautiously, she stepped out of the boundary towards the sleeping boy.

When she got close enough to the boy, she noticed golden sand above his head. The sand seemed to show a little girl running through the trees at full speed. Only, she didn't have a look of horror on her face. It looked like she was laughing. A boy was right at her heals. He looked like a younger version of the white haired boy sleeping in front of her.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed open and Maddy jumped backwards.

"Who are you?" Maddy asked. The boy looked behind him then looked back at the little girl.

"Y-you actually see me?" he asked, stunned. This caught Maddy momentarily off guard. Was he nuts? Why would he ask if she could see him? For a second, she was starting to regret leaving the camp.

"Why would you ask me a stupid question like that?" she said, holding her dagger higher. The white haired boy noticed this.

"You carry a weapon as well?" he asked, mesmerized.

"Of course. Now I will ask you one more time…" she raised her dagger again. "…Who are you?"

"I'm Jack Frost," the boy said. Yep. He's definitely nuts. "Yeah, and I'm the Tooth Fairy," Maddy mocked. "If you're Jack Frost, prove it."

Jack looked around and touched the tree he was leaning against with his index finger. Starting at his finger, frost spread up the tree. Maddy lowered her dagger. "Oh, ok. I'm starting to believe you. But if you're the real Jack Frost, then what are you doing here?" Maddy asked.

"I'm on a quest. Think you could help me?" Jack asked and her eyes widened.

"Me, help Jack Frost with a quest? Of course! Umm, what is it?" the demigod asked.

"Well, I'm looking for a guy named Percy Jack…" he stopped short when he saw the change in the girl's eyes. They went from happy to angry in a matter of seconds.

"What do you want with him?" Maddy asked, her voice suddenly hard as rock. Jack looked for an easier way to explain this.

"Look, an evil is rising again but this time he is much stronger. So, we need someone who is stronger as well," he looked at her hopefully.

"I can understand that," Maddy mumbled to herself. "Ok, what can I help you with?"

"I need to get in that camp but for some reason that barrier won't let me. I've tried everything," Jack said.

"And let me guess, flying at it at top speed didn't help either did it?" Maddy giggled. "You probably can't get in because you bring snow and ice. And the barrier is made to keep mortals and bad weather out. I have to allow you in."

"Not to be rude, but can you do it quickly? I'm kind of in a big hurry here."

"Fine" Maddy said. She had a hint of reluctance in her voice. She hated her full name and she hated using it in front of other people. It embarrassed her. But Maddy could tell Jack was in a hurry, so she and Jack walked to the boundary.

"I, Maddy Sanders, allow Jack Frost to enter camp as he pleases," Maddy looked at Jack, a little red-faced.

"Cool name," Jack said and they walked through.

Jack was surprised at what he saw. He expected to see nothing but a big open strawberry field. But that wasn't it at all. Instead, it looked like some sort of odd camp. There was a blue four story house, a volleyball court, a stable, what looked like an armory, a gladiator styled arena, and mess hall that seemed to have only columns with no roof.

By the lake, there was a bunch of weird looking buildings that looked nothing alike. One was red and had barbed wire around it. Above the door frame was a stuffed boar head. The one across from the red building looked completely silver. With the moon shining on it, it looked like it had a slight glow around it. Another building looked caught Jack's attention. It looked like it had the most doorways and passages going into it then all the others. Jack couldn't even tell what color it was painted or if it even was painted. The one beside it had a bunch four-leaf clovers growing out of the walls and horseshoes hammered to it.

The camp did have a strawberry field, but not as big as Jack had thought it'd be.

Everybody seemed to be gathered around a bonfire but instead of orange, the flames seemed to be violet. Maddy noticed the amazement in Jack's eyes and laughed.

"Pretty cool isn't it?" she said.

"Yeah," he said.

"Come on. Percy is usually at the beach with Annabeth. I can take you to him if you'd like," she offered but Jack shook his head.

"I think I can figure out where the beach is. Thank you Maddy," he said.

"Jack, what are you going to do with Percy when you find him?" the demigod asked.

"Well, the others were going to shove him in a sack and toss him in a magic portal, but I figured that wouldn't be the best idea because he'd probably be able to rip the sack," Jack said, with that carefree smile he always wore.

Maddy laughed. "You got that right," She said and headed towards the camp fire. "Bye Jack," She called back and Jack waved. Once she was gone, Jack looked around. He couldn't see a beach so he flew up to get a better view.

"Wow," he said to himself. The camp looked beautiful at night. He looked around and noticed that there were two figures sitting by a beach. Jack smiled and silently flew closer to them. He didn't know if they could see him, and it looked like the two teens were having a moment, so Jack hid in the shadows and waited.

**(Percy's POV)**

Annabeth and I left when the others went to the bonfire. After the second giant war, Annabeth and I have been alone more than usual. Well, I was kidnaped by the goddess Hera and put in a roman camp for six months. It's only natural that I'd want to spend more time with my girlfriend, right? Thank the gods the other campers understood.

We had gone to the beach (which is my favorite place in this camp). My head rested in her lap as she played with my hair.

"It's good to have you back Seaweed Brain," she said.

"It's good to be back Wise Girl," I said. Suddenly, I heard something in the woods and I looked up. Annabeth noticed this and looked in the same direction I was looking. Just then, a white haired boy walked out of the woods. He wore a dark blue hoodie with delicate frost designs and brown pants that were ripped at the bottom. His eyes were icy blue and his skin was so pale, he looked like he was out in the cold way too long. In his hand, he carried a staff also decorated with frost.

Instantly, I was on my feet with riptide in my hands and Annabeth had her dagger.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Jeez what is it with this place and weapons?" The stranger asked.

"Think about what we're going to do with them if you don't answer our questions. Who are you and how did you get in this camp? Are you a demigod or did someone invite you?" Annabeth said.

The stranger held up his hands. "Look, I promise I'm not a threat to you or anyone in this camp. I merely came to ask an important favor from you, and quite frankly, I'm surprised you can see me. Yes, I was invited in here; no I am not a demigod, whatever that is. As for who I am, my name is Jack Frost.

**A.N**

**Sorry if everyone was a bit out of character. I tried. Everyone meet Maddy. My OC. Did you notice that when I described the cabins, I didn't give the names of the gods they belonged too? Well if you can guess who the last two cabins that I described belong to, you will get a shoutout in the next chapter :)**


	3. Demigods, Meet Jack Frost

**Chapter 3: Goodbye**

_As for who I am, my name is Jack Frost._

**Third POV**

"Jack Frost? You put on a blue hoody, a white wig, makeup that makes you look frozen, and you expect me to believe that you're Jack Frost? If you are him, then how did you get in?" Percy asked.

"Maddy let me in," Jack said and surprise replaced the anger in Percy's eyes.

"Wait Maddy? Maddy Sanders? The six year old Maddy Sanders?" he asked.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "Maddy is at that age where she believes in those legends like the Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy and…" she looked at the white-haired boy. "…And Jack Frost. Plus, Maddy is a very responsible demigod. She wouldn't let anyone in the camp unless she was sure they would do no harm."

Percy looked at Annabeth. "You- you actually believe him?" he asked, surprised and Annabeth shrugged.

"When Chiron told me about the Romans, I figured other mythologies and legends would be real too, like the Easter Bunny and the Sandman. When I brought this up with Chiron, he said they were real, but that I should not tell anyone. It was not a good idea to mix mythologies. Speaking of Chiron," Annabeth turned to Jack. "Would you like to meet our camp director?"

**(Page Break)**

When Chiron opened the door and saw Jack for the first time, a look of mixed emotions flashed across his face. First came shock, and then came confusion, then surprise, then what looked like a hint of fear. But the second it appeared, it disappeared, replaced by a welcoming smile.

"Jack Frost. What brings you here?" he asked.

Jack blinked in surprise. The creature, "Centaur" according to Annabeth, knew exactly who he was. This camp seemed to get weirder and weirder by the minuet. Jack figured that if the 'Chiron' already knew him than it would be a pointless attempt to lie. "The guardians need help," he said.

"That's a first. I thought they needed help before and that's how you came into the picture. What would be so bad that the Guardians would need to our help?" Chiron asked. Jack opened his mouth to respond but Percy interrupted.

"Wait who are the guardians?" he asked and Annabeth nudged him.

"Shut up and listen Seaweed Bain and maybe you'll find out," she said.

"We call ourselves the guardians because we help guard the children of the world. We are your childhood figures," Jack said.

Percy, for his part, is usually open to new and surprising things. How can he not be, when he meets new creatures on an everyday basis and has faced more near-death experiences than an average U.S. Military soldier.But now, being told that the legends he had stopped believing in for a long time were true was like a slap in the face. It was just too much.

"This is crazy!" he said, trying to unfold it all in his head. "How can there be a bunny that hides eggs in one day or a fairy that takes teeth, or a man that flies around the world in one night in an old and worn sleigh?" Percy asked, more to himself than anyone.

"Oh it's not old and worn, believe me," Jack said trying to hide his amusement and Percy turned to him, all the pieces finally clicking.

"You really are the real Jack Frost, aren't you?" he asked and Jack nodded.

"You _are_ Percy Jackson right? Like I said before, we need your help," Jack said and all humor that was in his eyes was gone.

"What do you need my help for?" Percy asked.

"A year ago, the other Guardians and I defeated a guy named Pitch Black and he's been suffering in his own fears ever since. Now he's returned but he seems much more powerful than the last time. We need you to help us defeat him," Jack explained.

"Whoa, whoa hold up. 'Pitch black'? Who the heck is he? I've never heard of _him_ when I was young," Percy said.

"He's better known to children as the 'boogieman'. I personally think he hates that name," Jack said with a smile forming across his face. "Anyway, will you help us?"

"What happens if I don't?" Percy asked.

The white-haired spirit shrugged. "Darkness will take over, children _and_ adults will have nightmares forever, the very thing the others and I have sworn to protect will be lost thus, making us fade and that's just the beginning," Jack said. Percy sighed.

"Do you think we should tell Rachel?" he asked.

"I'm sure she has a prophecy," Annabeth said.

"No we are already running out of time as it is. We need to go," Jack said.

"Where are you going?" Chiron asked.

"Santoff Clausen which is better known as the North Pole," the guardian said.

"We'll go get our bags," Annabeth said getting up.

"Annabeth-that is your name right? Annabeth, the Man in the Moon told me to get Percy and only Percy," Jack said.

"What? No! I'm not leaving without Annabeth," Percy said.

"Go on Seaweed Brain. I can't be selfish. Besides, I'll be here when you get back. And you better come back," Annabeth said that last sentence as if it were a threat but you could tell in her intense gray eyes that she was joking; only partly though.

"I promise you my life that I will not disappear on you again," he said and the two demigods hugged each other.

"I still need to pack a bag," Percy told Jack and he nodded.

"Be sure you pack warmly," Jack teased. Percy shot him a look than he and Annabeth left the Big House.

**(I am just a lonely line break. Pay me no mind)**

"I can't believe it. I finally come back, there are no Romans to fight and now I have to leave again," Percy said to Annabeth as he put underwear in his old yellow duffle bag. Annabeth sat on his bed watching him.

"Percy, the life of a demigod is never easy. You should know that by now," she said.

"I do know that but this is just cruel," Percy argued.

"Do you have drachmas?"

"I always keep them just in case," Percy pulled ten gold coins out of his pocket and put them in the bag.

"Good. You can use them to contact me. Percy, everything will be fine. Just stay alive or I'll personally go down to Elysium and bring you back myself," Annabeth said.

"Just like Orpheus did, right? Promise not to look back?"

"As long as I know that you're behind me," the two demigods joked. "So what do you think this quest will be like?" Annabeth asked. Percy shrugged.

"I have no idea what to expect. What if they look nothing like I imagined as a kid?"

"What if they are? Percy, don't let expectations get the best of you," Annabeth warned.

**xXx**

When Percy and Annabeth went back to the big house, they saw Jack talking to Maddy. When Jack noticed the two demigods approach, he whispered something into Maddy's ear and she nodded.

"Ready to go?" he asked Percy.

"Sort of," Percy said and he leaned down to talk to Maddy.

"Why did you let Jack in?" he asked the little girl.

"He's Jack frost. He and the other guardians are my heroes," she said.

"I thought you weren't going to leave the border again,"

"I wasn't. But if you saw a flying boy slam into the border and seem perfectly fine, what would do? Especially if you have ADHD and a bunch of curiosity like I do," Maddy said.

"Let me ask you this," Percy said. "What were you doing by the border in the first place?"

Maddy shifted from foot to foot uneasily. "I um… kind of sneak away every night. I hate singing," she said. Percy nodded then stood up.

"How are we getting to Santo- Santo – what you said?" Percy asked Jack.

"Santoff Clausen? Easy," Jack took a snow globe out of his hoody pocket, shook it then threw it. Instantly a vortex of many different colors appeared.

"We-we're going in that?" Percy asked. Jack looked at him surprised.

"Yeah. What's wrong with it?" Jack asked

"Um, kind of the fact that it's just a whole in the middle of the sky," Percy said.

"Well how else are we going to get there? We can't exactly walk, and North said you wouldn't be able to fly," Jack said.

Percy smiled. "Apparently North didn't know about my loophole," he turned to Annabeth and Maddy who were smiling brightly. He turned back to Jack.

"How well do you get along with pegasi?" he asked Jack.

**(Page Break)**

"Are you sure about this?" Jack asked Percy. Standing behind the son of Poseidon was a pure black horse with wings. The horse whinnied angrily at Jack, and Percy tried to calm him down.

"Yes I am," Percy said. "I have a way with horses. And I trust them more than I trust that portal."

"Who knew demigods could be so stubborn," Jack murmured to himself.

"Do you need a Pegasus?" Percy asked and Jack shook his head.

"I'm good. Can we go now?" Jack asked. Percy nodded and hugged Annabeth.

"Bye Percy. Don't forget to Iris Message us," She said.

"You know I won't," Percy pulled away from the hug and turned to Maddy. "Thank you," he said to the little girl then he jumped on Blackjack and soon they were both flying through the air towards the North Pole.

**Line break**

"I know you don't want to use the portal to the North Pole but are you sure that flying is the best way to get there?" Jack asked. He was riding the wind and keeping close to the demigod. He had noticed Blackjack start fly a little slower and Percy's eyes start to drop. The three of them have been flying for two hours without end.

"Blackjack and I just need a break," Percy said. "I still don't completely trust that portal of yours."

"_What about that creepy thing you do with the son of Hades?" Isn't that like a portal?"_ Blackjack asked Percy.

"Yeah, but that's different. I knew where I was going then," Percy said.

"What's different?" Jack asked.

"Nothing. Blackjack said something and I answered him," Percy said.

"You talk to horses?"

Percy nodded. "And zebras. Anything closely related to horses, actually,"

"That's so cool. Anything else you can do?" Jack asked. Percy thought.

"No, that's it," he said.

"_Why lie?"_ Blackjack asked.

"_I don't know if I can trust him one hundred percent yet. I want to keep it on the down low for as long as I can," _Percy mentally answered.

"_That makes perfect sense. Don't trust the flying boy with the long magic stick. Got it Boss."_

"_You know what I mean."_

"_Whatever."_

"Is Blackjack ok? He seems to be slowing down the further we go. You both do," Jack said.

'_He's right, we need rest,' _Percy thought.

'_I'm fine. I can hold.'_

Percy ignored him. "We're just tired. Can we take a rest?"

"I have a better idea," Jack said and took out the snow globe. "Are you willing to at least give it a chance?"

"Will Blackjack be ok when we land?"

"Of course"

"Alright" Percy agreed. Jack shook the glass ball.

"Santoff Claussen," he said then threw it. The colorful, swirling portal appeared out of thin air and the two guardians flew right through it.

**A.N.**

**This chapter was really hard to write so sorry if I didn't get everyone's personalities. I tried to keep them in character. This is more of filler. I don't like it but it will get better in the next chapter.**

**Congratulations to Shur'tugal Daughter of Artemis for winning the cabin contest. And congratulations to those of you who got the right answer. Almost everyone got the right answer. The answer was Janus, the god of doorways, crossroads and beginning, and Tyche, the goddess of luck. (Roman is Fortuna) Janus made and appearance in BOTL and Tyche was talked about in the SoN (Feast of Fortuna {for tuna} ) and in the MoA (Nemesis talks about her).**

**One thing all of you should know is I don't care about spelling one bit. In fact, I failed almost all of my spelling tests when I was younger so it doesn't matter to me if you spelled the answers wrong as long as I can read it. This story may not be jack x OC. As I said in the second chapter, I don't think I will put Jack with anyone, not even Maddy since she is just six. Speaking of Maddy, what do you think of her? Do you like her?**

**Review replies:**

**Darkening **I don't think I'm going to make Percy _stronger_ than the others, but his and Jack's powers are going to be the most useful throughout the story. Is that ok?

**Hypersreak **Interesting question which will be answered later on in the story. I don't want to spoil anything.

**Angelfabeth **Maddy will play a big part in the story. I just wish I knew what it was :)

**Mystery Girl Who Writes **thank you for trying this. You may never know if you'd like a story by its summery. I'm glad you liked it.

**Ivy night **I don't update too often because I do have school but I'll try to update during breaks and sometimes during weekends. I need to get them written first…

**Annabeth Brady **I got your alert. Thank you soo much.

**Monkeygirlz3 **Thank you :) I didn't know if it'd be too lengthy or not.

**Thanks to: Jessjess98, ninja4evs, ShadowPhase9, LindiJo, AnnabethandPercyJackson17, Quatuor Tempor alis Nocturna, Guest, PJO rulz, Guest, Guest, A Little Lost 1, theHuntress101, NekoAmi1216, Blueh, Town Of Thorns, H2O Pokemon FAN, Monkeygirlz3, ThaliaDaphneJackson12, mailaine, Unknown**


	4. I Meet The Ultimate Guardians

**a.n. IMPORTANT author's note so please read. This chapter contains a very gruesome seen so if you don't want to read it, look for the read to the bold print and then skip to the next bold print. If you are confused by what I just said, I'll explain it.**

Chapter 4: I Meet the Ultimate Guardians

Percy's POV

Here's a little tip. When it is the hottest day of the summer and you live in, like, Africa and you get tired of all the heat, come to the North Pole. That will defiantly cool you off.

When Jack, Blackjack and I flew out of the portal, the first think I noticed were a bunch of snow-covered cliffs bigger than sky-scrapers. Then I noticed the snow itself. It was falling as gently as possible onto the already snowy blanket that quilted the ground. It was a beautiful sight to see; like it was taken right out of a Christmas card. Although I dressed for snowy weather, I still felt as though I was suddenly put in the coldest refrigerator built on the earth. Which isn't that far from the truth, I guess. Jack really wasn't kidding when he said to 'dress warmly.' I shivered.

"How much further?" I asked.

"North flies his sleigh into this cave carved into one of the cliffs further ahead. That's why the portal took us out here and not closer to the Workshop itself. We'll have to fly a little bit further," Jack explained.

"Good. Let's go and get out of this cold," I said.

"Didn't I tell you to dress warmly?" he asked in a joking way. I ignored him and tried to lean closer to Blackjack for more warmth. "Lead the way," I said. Jack laughed then led us further into the snowy vastness. After what felt like an hour more of flying, I noticed a tiny dot that looked a little out of place with the whiteness of the snow. But the closer we got to it the less out of place it looked. It turned out to be an odd building placed on the edge of one of the cliffs. Below it was a cave big enough for a sleigh and reindeer to easily fly through.

"Is that it?" I asked, pointing to the building.

"Yep" Jack said and started descending towards it. Once we got close enough to see more details, he started flying in circles around the top of the Workshop but was still descending as he did it like a bird would when it's about to land. I had a feeling Jack was just trying to make it easier for Blackjack and could have gone without all the fancy flying. Nonetheless, Blackjack did it as gracefully as a flying horse could to it. On the last circle, Jack flew into this open window in the roof; a skylight, I guessed. Blackjack hesitated a little but I patted his neck reassuringly. "I know you're tired but this is going to be it for the night," I said. I could tell he was reluctant but he did as I asked. We followed Jack through the skylight.

As we flew in, four pairs of shocked eyes were fixed on us. That's not what bothered me. What bothered me was who the eyes belonged to. I had to blink to make sure my eyes were not showing me an illusion. Standing in front of me was the oddest looking bunch I have ever seen. Standing to the left was what looked like a warrior rabbit. His gray fur had black markings on it. His belly and face were a grayish white. He stood on the biggest rabbit feet I have ever seen and his ears added about two feet to his already tall height. He wore a brown leather sash across his chest.

Next to him was a tall, round old man with a snow white beard that could have been tucked into his belt. His face was so jolly and he had the kindest ocean blue eyes. He wore a long red coat with a trim of brown fur. His hat was the same. He had on red pants and a pair of old black boots. He looked Russian to me. Santa is Russian? That explained a lot.

In front of him was a short man with spiky blond hair. His robe was the color of the sun, only a little golden. If I looked closely, he looked to be made of sand. He had a wide smile that took most of his face. With the dimples on his face you could tell he smiled like that often.

Fluttering next to him was what looked like a half human, half hummingbird hybrid. The only parts of skin I could see were her small hands and her face. The rest were covered with multicolored feathers; colors of gold, green, purple, yellow, and blue. Instead of hair, she had longer feathers that could be wing feathers on a bird. The feathers were pushed back like a feathery headdress but there were a few out of place. She was hovering about three feet in the air with transparent brownish-pink wings. She was beating her wings so fast I could barely see them. Hovering by her face were three mini fairies that were the same size as hummingbirds and the same color as the bigger fairy.

As soon as they saw Blackjack their eyes narrowed. The bunny reached behind him and brought out a boomerang, the old man pulled out two swords, the small golden man made little whips made of gold sand and the fairy balled her hands into hard fists. They all charged at me screaming a battle cry. At the same time I reached into my pocket and pulled out my pen. Jack saw this and flew as fast as the winds would allow him and positioned himself between us. Thank the gods he managed to do so before I pushed the button to uncap the sword.

The look in Jack's eyes was warning enough. The odd bunch lowered their weapons but the reluctance was clear on their faces.

"What are you protecting the beast for? It works for Pitch!" the old man said with a heavy Russian accent.

Blackjack threw his head up and whinnied angrily. _"I don't work for no Pitch! I don't even know who the Hades he is! I don't want to die!" _he said. He flew a few inches higher and cantered in the ai r. I tried to reassure him and it seemed to have a little impact on him but not enough to make him land. Which was understandable. I myself was weary to land.

Jack shook his head. "Does that _look_ like a fearing to you? He's not even made of sand! And look at his eyes. They are not gold," he said.

"But Pitch is stronger than he was before! His nightmares could have had armor like they once did a long time ago! And he could have given them wings," the bunny said.

"Jack, is that Percy?" the fairy said, pointing to me.

"Yes, that is him, and you're scaring his horse. Now put your weapons down before he flies away!" Jack said.

"_I like the albino boy," _Blackjack whispered into my head.

"It's like Sophie all over again. Remember when we charged at her thinking she was a fearling or something?" the fairy said.

The old man laughed joyously. "I remember" he said. Blackjack noticed the tension cleared a little bit and allowed himself to descend a little but still refused to land.

"If he is not a fearling, than what is he?" the bunny asked.

"Blackjack is a Pegasus. A horse with wings and your weapons are preventing him from landing so could you please remove them?" I said. With a confused look on their faces, they looked at their weapons then put them away. Blackjack landed, but he was still reluctant to do so. I slipped off his back and found it hard to walk from sitting too long.

"Percy, it's nice to finally meet you," the old man said. "I think it's time for some introductions. My name is Nicholas St. North but most people just call me North. Or you may know me better as 'Santa'. And-" he gestured to the bunny- "this is Bunnymund, or Bunny, You know Jack, and Sandy, and Tooth." Each of them waved. Bunnymund looked at me like he was studying me for a test. My head hurt and I had trouble keeping my eyes open. I guess this was visibly noticeable because North frowned.

"We may not know much about you but we do know that you are at least human so you must be tired. I prepared a room for you to sleep in for the time being. We will do questions and answers tomorrow," he said.

"What about Blackjack?" I asked.

"I have the perfect place for him to rest. I'm sure my deer will make room for him in my stable. Just take a left, then a right, then a right and a right, go past the pool and the library, and then you will see a lamp post than take another left, than a right and your room will be the second door to the right." I looked at him trying to comprehend what he was saying. All I had gotten out of that was a bunch of right and left turns and a pool. North laughed. "Kidding! Just go that way and your room will be the last one in the hall," he said. I tried to find an argument but I found nothing to back me up.

"Alright," I said. I turned to Blackjack. _"You be good and don't start a fight with the other deer. They have done nothing to you"_ I spoke to him through my mind.

"_You got it boss," _he said and watched as I grabbed my bag and left the room with the giant globe. When I got to the door of the hallway, I stopped and turned.

"How long am I staying?" I asked.

"As long as it takes to defeat our oldest enemy, Pitch. We'll tell you more about him tomorrow," North said.

So I can go ahead and unpack?" I asked

"I would."

I nodded then left.

I walked a little ways through the hall but I finally found my way to the end door. When I opened the door my jaw dropped. My room was as big as my cabin back at camp. The walls were painted ocean blue with a bunch of wave designs on every wall. Right above my bed was a huge metal trident screwed into the wall. Right in the middle of the room was a fountain. I felt right at home but I also felt weary. How did North know who I was? Well he is Santa and Santa is supposed to know all the children so it would make sense that he would know about half bloods. But why have I never known about him and the others? What made it even creepier was he was the only one who seemed to know who I was. I thought about this as I unpacked my bag. I set a picture of me and Annabeth on the bedside table. I missed her so much. I thought about Iris Messaging her but I figured that would only worry her. I'm sure I looked like a mess and I felt very tired. I didn't know the time difference and didn't want to wake her up. I fell asleep wondering what tomorrow will bring.

3rd person

As soon as Percy left, Bunnymund turned to North. "I still don't get it. What significance does he have? He's not even immortal! Before today, he didn't even know we existed!"

"Even more reason that we should make him feel welcome," said North. "Manny chose him because we need him. You and I both know Manny chooses his guardians with great care. Look at Jack for instance,"

"Yeah but that's different!"

"How?" Jack butt in. "Remember when I was chosen? You were the only one who was even slightly unhappy about it? Now look at us. Don't you think that Percy deserves a chance? He has never done anything to you." Bunny looked like he was trying to find a solid argument again. His furry mouth opened and closed again but he finally seemed to reluctantly agree.

"Bunny did have good point. North why don't you tell us what we don't know?" Tooth said. It sounded more like a demand rather than a question. "Just who exactly did we let into our company?" North twirled his beard in concentration. He looked like he wished he were anywhere else but here. After what seemed like an hour of intense silence, he sighed and gestured towards the chairs.

"Alright get comfy 'cause it's a long story," he said. "The first thing you must know is that we are not the only immortals out there. There are all kinds of magical beings that exist through different parts of the world, and maybe, throughout the universe. There are other mythologies and legends, each with their own way of concealment. For instance, we are unseen to those who do not believe. Percy comes from a world very different from ours. We guard children but those children do not need protecting. They have to fight to survive. Percy is from the legend that is the most overlooked, but probably the most powerful; Greek mythology.

"Greek? But I thought the Greeks died off when Rome overthrew them a thousand years ago," Tooth said.

"The people did. But not the gods," said North. "Don't you remember that the Romans worshiped the same gods? Sure they made minor tweaks, but they were still the same gods." In the far corner, Blackjack whinnied again.

"Bunny, can you translate?" Tooth asked.

"You talk horse?" Jack asked.

"I talk to any animal," said Bunny. "The horse, sorry; Blackjack, said that the Romans made more than "little tweaks". They took one of the Greeks' best goddess and took away most of her power just to make her 'safer'. That's just one of the many things the Greeks never forgave the Romans for."

A golden question mark appeared over Sandy's head. "You got all that from one whinny?" North asked.

"Yes."

"Ok. Well the Greeks never forgave the Romans until quite recently but that's a different story for another day," said North.

Tooth shook her head with confusion. "North, you said yourself that the Greeks died off a long time ago, along with the Romans. So how…?" her voice tailed off.

"Think!" North said. "What was one of the most common things the gods did in those mythologies?" The room was silent for a long five minutes. Finally, Sandy showed a picture of a little golden family of three. Smiling, North nodded. He stayed quiet letting them put the pieces together on their own. North nodded to Sandy's little picture of a family so…

Suddenly there was a loud collective gasp as they figured it out. Nobody seemed able to speak. After another long moment of silence, North said, "We just kind of kidnapped the most powerful half human-half demigod alive. And we must ensure Pitch doesn't get ahold of him.

In the other bedroom down the hall, the demigod in question stirred in his sleep…

Percy dreamed he was in a dark cavern surrounded by thick, heavy mist. He tried to look around to see exactly where he was, but he couldn't see three inches past his nose. He shivered, noticing for the first time how cold it was. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Suddenly, he heard a hard, metallic laugh, cold as ice. The laugh seemed to be coming from every direction which annoyed Percy witless.

"So you're the famous Percy Jackson. I expected someone…better. But no matter. According to my resources, you are the most powerful of your kind," the voice said.

Percy's eyes narrowed and he put his hand over his back pocket. "Who are you and how do you know me?" he asked.

"How can I not? Practically every one of your Greek and Roman world knows of your stories. The way you defeated the Minotaur with absolutely no training or no weapons, how you single handedly defeated the Titan lord, and the most spectacular of all, how you fell into that pit in the Underworld and still managed to come out alive,"

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Percy was beyond mad at this point. He preferred it much better when he could see his target. Waving only an echoing voice from all directions was probably the most annoying thing for someone who wanted to fight.

"Oh I don't want anything from you…yet. For now, I merely came to deliver a message,"

"What's the message?"

"Count the shadows."

"Percy was so taken aback; his hand fell from his pocket. "What?"

"You'll figure it out. I believe you asked me another question? 'Who am I'?"

"For once, I think I'm starting to figure it out. You're obviously immortal, yet I have never heard your voice, however similar it is to Cronus. So the only possible answer is that you are a part of this mythology, not Greek. Uhh, the Boogieman?"

"You're smarter than they give you credit for."

"Not really. You know what? Why don't you show yourself to me so I can actually fight you? Unless you're scared."

"I do not feel fear. I am fear. You on the other hand, are a different story,"

"I am not scared of you or anything you tend to throw at me."

"No, you're not. But I do know what you are scared of."

"You really think so, huh?"

"Let me show you."

**(A.N I'd skip this part if you don't like reading brutal stuff.)**

Percy turned around and his heart nearly died. Standing in front of him was Annabeth. Her hands were chained to the wall and Percy saw a gallon of blood trickle down her face, arms and legs. Her usually blond hair was so matted and dirty, it looked a brownish reddish color from dirt and blood. One eye was swollen shut and the other was black and blue. What made it worse (if possible) was her head hung limp. Her own dagger lay beside her, bathed in red.

**(Ok I think it's safe now. I'll explain what it was at the end if you don't figure it out.)**

Aside from all the blood, Percy saw red. He tried with all his strength to reach her and save her (and he would saver her) but it seemed an invisible brick wall was keeping him from her. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!" Percy's yell was heartbroken. He was shaking violently and huge, wet tears fell from his eyes.

"You were scared of losing your precious Annabeth. Don't worry. All you are seeing is a mere image of her. It's not real" But his voice had a hint of excitement.

"SHUT UP!" Percy yelled. Suddenly, he was sitting up in his bed back at Santoff Claussen. He found himself and the bed covered in sweat and his pillow. As Percy sat there, he had only one thought running through his mind. He _will_ get revenge even if the image was real or not; because one thing was for sure. NOBODY messes with Annabeth and gets away with it if he could help it.

**A.N**

**Don't worry. I have a bit more written down. I just thought this would be a good place to stop so I can start off fresh in the next chapter. Speaking of which, I think this is the longest chapter in this story so far. The image was of Annabeth beat up and bruised. I'm sorry for interrupting the story with author's notes but some people don't like reading that. I only put it in the story because I was trying something new.**

**Reply time.**

**WordSmyth:** Your review made my day! Thank you so much! :,D

**Annabeth Brady: **I did thank you at the bottom of the chapter but I guess you just didn't see it so here it is: Thank you for your alert.

**Compliment Giver: **I don't think so. Well, not that much. Just don't do anything bad to her. I don't think two wrongs make a right. Or just ignore her. Besides, whatever helps you learn right ;)

**theHuntress101: **Thank you. I didn't know how people would react towards her.

**RachelXJackFrost**: Sorry, the only person I'd put with Jack is Tooth, and I don't think I will do that in this story. Thanks for your review!

**Turkeyhead987:** I didn't think of that. That is such a good idea and it makes a lot of sense. Thank you for the comment!

**NewObsessionxoxo: **I didn't say I was going to abandon this story. It's was my other story I was going to abandon (But I'm not). This one is a lot of fun to write.

**Ivy Night51101930:** Congratulations! I love your picture btw. I guess it's fit to say welcome to Fanfiction newcomer :D If you have any questions about updating and stuff, I'll be here!

**Thanks to: BatfamilyFan01, SilverKnight121, Guest, H2O Pokemon FAN, Monkeygirlz3, Reading-is-4-life, Julie, Rosepink4140, AJ Skye and yellowoctopus333**


	5. Questions and Somewhat Answers

'_NOBODY messes with Annabeth and gets away with it if he could help it.'_

_**Chapter 5: Questions and Somewhat Answers**_

Percy looked out the window that was right by his bed. It was still dark. If Percy had to guess, he'd say it was around 1:00 in the morning. Though it was pitch black, he could still faintly make out little white flakes that belonged to the never-ending snow fall. As Percy watched all this, he wondered if Jack was to blame for the light snow. It didn't seem normal for it to be snowing this lightly, especially in this particular aria. Percy shook the feeling away. He figured he would never look at snow the same way again. He lay back down and tried to get back to sleep for now but the bed was too sticky with sweat, tears and drool from the nightmare he had just suffered from. Giving up on his struggle for sleep, he went into the bathroom, turned the on faucet and willed the water to the bed, completely soaking it. He left it that way for a few minutes to insure it gets clean. Approving of his work, Percy thought it was his turn. He turned the shower on and waited for the right temperature. After a two hour long shower, he got out and willed himself dry. As he was doing this, he noticed the ten drachmas he had placed on the counter earlier. Because of the nightmare, he was even more anxious to check on Annabeth. This time, he did not hesitate in making a rainbow and throwing a coin into it.

"Show me Annabeth Chase, Half-Blood Hill," Percy said.

The familiar watery image bubbled out of the rainbow. It showed Annabeth walking around the cabins with a clip board in hand. Every time she passed a cabin, she would peak in; jog some notes down, than move to the next one. She wore her Camp Half-Blood T-shirt with shorts and sneakers. Her curly blond hear was pulled back in a ponytail. There wasn't so much as a scratch on her. Percy breathed a sigh of relief and Annabeth looked up.

"Percy! Where are you? What are you doing? Are they like we expected? Is the architecture good? What time is it there? Are they-"

"Annabeth, calm down. Take a deep breath," Percy said, hiding a smile.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited. I made a list of questions I wanted to ask the next time I talked to you. Are you ok? You look pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Percy could tell Annabeth could see right through him but she said nothing.

"So, what's it like up their? Are they like we expected?" she asked.

"Not really. Santa turned out to be Russian –"

"Seaweed brain, I could have told you _that_."

"-The Tooth Fairy looks like a half human, half hummingbird hybrid and the sandman is just that. A man made of golden sand."

"That's probably why I saw golden sand over Jack's head when I found him asleep." A little girl's voice came from behind Percy and Annabeth. A minute later, Maddy's little face peaked into view. "Is the Easter Bunny there? He's always been my favorite. Easter brings hope. I guess for a demigod that stood out," Maddy said.

"Wise words Maddy," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, he's here as well," Percy said. Maddy's eyes widened with excitement. "The whole group's here."

"Can I talk to them? Oh please, oh please, oh please!" Maddy was jumping up and down and squealing with excitement. Being able to meet her childhood heroes was a dream come true for her.

"Sorry, Maddy. It's about 1in the morning here. They are probably asleep," Percy said.

"Percy, immortals don't sleep. They don't need it," said Annabeth.

"Would you risk it?"

"No. What are _you_ doing up that early in the morning?"

"I…I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd check up on you. What time is it there?"

"It's about 5 here. We were doing cabin inspections and let me just say, your score is almost as low as the Hermes cabin. When was the last time you cleaned it?" Annabeth teased.

"Maybe I would have gotten a higher score if I had known cabin inspections were today. I would have cleaned while I was packing for a sudden, unplanned trip," said Percy. Annabeth stuck her tongue at him.

"Don't worry. We put a curve on your score for that reason. You now have a two out of five." Maddy said. Behind her Annabeth face palmed.

"I wasn't going to tell him that," she said.

"Oh." Maddy looked around nervously. "I think I'll go practice… uhh…rock climbing." She ran out of sight. Annabeth shook her head, smiling as she watched Maddy.

"I like it when she acts older than what she really is but I think it's better when she acts her own age. She's a little girl. It would be sad to take away her childhood innocence," said Annabeth.

"Annabeth, please. You're starting to sound like my mom. She'll be fine. Besides, it's hard to keep your childhood innocence when you're a demigod her age," said Percy.

"Mmm," Annabeth seemed absent minded as he stared after Maddy. Then she shook her head and focused her gaze back at Percy. "So what was your nightmare about?"

"How did you know?"

"What other reason would you be awake at this ungodly hour?"

"I…uhh…it was… it was nothing. I'm ok."

"Percy, I can see right through you. I could always see right through you."

"Really, it's nothing." Annabeth looked like she wanted to press the matter further but instead she let it slip. Suddenly, an idea jumped into Percy's mind.

"Could you see if there is a prophecy? I mean this is big. Two worlds are colliding. I'm sure the Oracle has something to help us," he said.

"I guess you're right." Annabeth laughed. "I never thought I'd hear myself say those words.

"Very funny. Iris Message me tonight so I'll see what you found," said Percy.

"Alright. I'll talk to you later."

With that, Annabeth swiped her hand through the image, making it disconnect and fizzle back into the rainbow, which disappeared. Percy sat on the bed, which he remembered a little too late that it was already soaking wet. He touched different parts of the bed and willed the water on the bed to dissolve into the air. Finally satisfied and with a clean bed, Percy nodded and crawled into the sheets. The second his head hit the pillow, he was instantly asleep.

Knock, knock, knock.

Percy awoke to a heavy thudding on his bedroom door. When the knocker didn't get a response, the door opened to reveal a huge creature with tannish-gray fur that covered its entire body. It didn't say anything; instead it just grunted and growled a language that was completely alien to Percy. He blinked confusedly at the creature in front of him. He had a vague memory of seeing creatures like this on his way to his room the night before. The yeti looking creature was carrying a try of food in its big hands. Not taking its eyes off of Percy, it sat the tray on the bedside table by Annabeth's picture and quietly shut the door behind him. Percy leaned over to see what the yeti had brought him. He was surprised to see a plate of bacon, blue waffles and a glass of milk.

Having blue food was an inside joke between him and his mom ever since he was little. It was Percy's favorite color so his mom went out of her way to make blue food; blue cakes, candy, blue everything. And Percy liked to carry on that small tradition. How the guardians knew this was a complete mystery to Percy. He took a bite and smiled. It even tasted like his mom's homemade waffles. When he was done eating he got up and changed into a deep sea blue long sleeved shirt, jeans and a pair of sneakers. He reached into his back pocket to find his pen already there, ready for use. Not that he'd need it but it was a safety precaution.

**xXx**

As Percy walked back into the globe room he noticed Jack sitting on top of the globe absent mindedly playing with a snowflake he'd created. One of Tooth's Mini fairies lay asleep on his shoulder. His staff was hooked to the axes of the globe as not to fall. He was slowly rotating in and out of sight with the globe. As soon as he saw Percy, he lightly nudged the little fairy awake. She looked at Percy then flew off in the opposite direction and into another room.

"Where is everybody?" Percy asked.

"Sandy and Tooth went back to their jobs, North went to work on preparations for Christmas and Bunny went to help him. Babytooth was the fairy that was here. She went to tell North and Bunny you were awake. So basically, they left me here to wait for you to wake up," said Jack.

"What do you normally do?"

"I usually go around spreading snow and fun around the world to children."

"Oh. How did you get up there?"

"Ever since I was created, I have had this connection with the wind. It's kind of hard to explain but it's like the wind has been my… companion? Friend? -From the very beginning.

"So the wind carried you up there? _That's_ how you managed to fly all that way with Blackjack and I without needing a Pegasus."

"We all have a special ability that no one else has. I can also control ice and frost at will. Bunny can create tunnels underground that lead him anywhere he wants or needs, Sandy can create and control dreams; Tooth created her mini fairies and North has his reindeer. Even you. You can talk to horses."

Just then, they heard heavy footsteps coming from the direction Babytooth had just flown through. North and Bunny came into the room with Babytooth right behind them. She instantly made a bee line for Jack and took her place on his shoulder again.

"Ahh, Percy. You're awake," said North.

"Yeah. What time is it?" asked Percy.

"It's about ten a.m. Mate. I forgot how long a mortal sleeps," said Bunny.

"He was just really tired before he went to bed. That's why he slept later," Jack put in.

"Whatever, Frostbite," Bunny replied.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast? I made it myself," said North, changing the subject.

"Yes, I did. It tasted just like my mom's homemade waffles. Thank you. But how did you know I like blue?"

"I'm Santa. I know a lot about you," said North.

"But we don't," said Bunny. "Why don't you need protecting?"

"What?" asked a dumbfounded Percy.

"We protect the children of the world but North said your kind doesn't need protecting. Why?" Bunny argued. Percy looked at North, who had an apologetic look on his face.

"We fight monsters. If we don't, we die. It's as simple as that. We protect ourselves. That's practicality what we're born for. Now it's my turn to ask a question. What exactly do you guys do?" North was the first to answer.

"Everyone has a center. Like me for instance. I have always seen the wonder in everything; the lights in the trees or the magic in the air. Bunny has hope, Tooth has memories, Sandy has dreams, and Jack has fun."

"You lost me," said Percy.

"Think of it like one of those Russian dolls. The outer shell is what someone would think of you by first impressions. But once you start talking, and they get to know you a little better, that would be the second shell. And continue on until you get to the center of the doll," said Jack.

"Thanks," Percy said.

"Anyway, that center is what we put into the world and protect in children," North finished.

"Protect? Protect from what?" asked Percy.

"Remember what I said about Pitch Black yesterday?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, the boogieman. You protect the children from him?"

"Yeah. He's bad news," Bunny said.

"What is your center?" North asked.

"I don't know," Percy said.

"It'll take some time. Don't worry, you'll figure it out," Jack said.

"Thanks," said Percy.

"My turn to ask," Jack said, though he was out of sight on the other side of the globe. "What other powers do you have besides talking to horses?"

"Erm, that's it, I guess,"

"You talk to horses?" Bunny asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it a special power I have."  
"How do you have powers? Yeah, I get that you're half Greek god, but what does that do? Which god?" Bunny's voice was full of confusion and even a little hatred. Just like North the night before, Percy wished he were anywhere but here.

"He doesn't need to answer all our questions now if he doesn't want to," North said. Percy sent him a silent 'thank you'.

"I promise that I don't have any more powers except talking to horses," he said. Just then, they heard a fizzling sound and they all turned to see what it was. Out of nowhere, an Iris Message appeared. It looked like one of those video conversations, like the ones over the internet. It was so clear; the girl standing in it looked like she was standing right in the globe room along with them.

"Ok, that was not me," Percy said.

**xXx**

"_Very funny. I'll Iris Message you tonight and see what you found," said Percy._

"_Alright. I'll talk to you later."_

Annabeth swiped her hand through the Iris Message. She stood their thinking for a few minutes. After a while, she finished up her cabin inspections, ran to the Big House and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a rough voice said. Annabeth opened the door and walked in to find Chiron and Mr. D playing Pinocle in the front room.

"What's it Annabeth?" Chiron asked.

"I need to go to the Oracle and see if there is a prophecy for Percy. He asked me to do this," said Annabeth.

"He asked you? You do know that it's about one in the morning where Percy is, right? What was he doing awake?" Chiron asked.

"He had a nightmare," Annabeth replied.

"And he asked you to get a prophecy for him?"

"Yes."

"Rachel isn't here yet. You're going to have to go to her,"

"I know," Annabeth said.

"Alright. You have my permission to leave camp. But I want you to bring someone just in case," said Chiron. Annabeth sighed.

"Fine," she said then turned and left. She was heading to her cabin to ask her half-brother, Malcolm, if he wanted to go, when Maddy blocked her path.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm going to see Rachel," Annabeth replied.

"Can I come?" Maddy asked.

"Umm…sure," said Annabeth.

"Yes! Why are we going to see Rachel again?"

"Percy wanted me to see if she had a prophecy. The first time he actually thought of something before I did."

"Wow. Ok, how are we getting there?"

"We'll use the fastest way I know," said Annabeth, as she turned on her heal and walked towards the stable; Maddy right behind her. Within about ten minutes, she and Maddy were flying on the Pegasusi, Guido and Porkpie. Maddy had been on a Pegasus at camp. But she had never flown outside the camp. Come to think of it, she had never been in New York since… since a long time ago. Nervous though as she was, she envied for the felling of freedom once again. They landed right by a huge condominium in the center of New York. When they dismounted, the two pegasi trotted over to the grassy area and started eating. Annabeth and Maddy walked inside and Maddy couldn't help but be amazed. The interior was huge. It seemed to be bigger on the inside. There was a big desk, comfy chairs, a nice rug and the walls seemed to be gold. Annabeth had said that Olympus was bigger and better than this but now Maddy found that difficult to believe, seeing as how she had never been to Olympus. So, all in all, it was the nicest place Maddy has ever seen. Annabeth walked over to the man behind the front desk.

"Is Rachel Dare home?" she asked.

Without looking up, the man asked, "Do you have an appointment?" "No, but I am on her list of friends. I'm Annabeth Chase," she said. The man looked on a sheet of paper that was attached to a clipboard.

"Sorry. I don't see a 'Chase' anywhere. Why don't you just walk away and leave?"

"Because she is my friend and I don't like how you're talking to her." A familiar voice came from behind them and they all turned to see Rachel standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore her usual paint splattered jeans and her red hoody. Her frizzy red hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Hi Annabeth, Maddy, I knew you would come," she said.

Annabeth mimicked Rachel by crossing her hands over her chest. "You always do," she said.

"True. Come on up," Rachel said, gesturing towards the elevator. As they were leaving the lobby, Rachel turned towards the man behind the desk. "Go ahead and put Annabeth on my friends list please Jeff." With that, the elevator doors shut, leaving behind a very dumbfounded Jeff.

"Don't worry about him. Nobody else likes him, so we're going to fire him," Rachel said.

"Why wasn't my name on the list?" Annabeth asked.

"When was the last time you came to see me without Percy?"

"I get your point." By then, the elevator doors opened to reveal a huge room with a big, comfy looking couch that stretched around a big glass square table. The windows went from the ceiling to the floor and took over the whole wall. The window looked like it overlooked the entire city of New York. A table sat on the other side of the room surrounded by six chairs. To the side, a black spiral staircase could be seen leading to the top half of the penthouse. A huge pool could be seen on the balcony. Rachel went right in and jumped onto the couch. She gestured to Maddy and Annabeth to sit beside her.

"So what brings you here? I take it it's to ask the Oracle something, considering the fact that you never come here just to hang out," Rachel said.

"We need the prophecy that was meant for Percy," said Maddy, speaking for the first time since they entered the condominium. Just then, Rachel sat up as if she were in a daze. Green mist started swirling around her. When she spoke, it sounded as though ten other Rachels were speaking at the same time.

**xXx **

At the last sentence, Rachel fell back onto the couch. After a minute she sat up rubbing her head. When she looked around, she noticed that Annabeth had already made the rainbow and was throwing the Drachma into it.

"Show me Percy Jackson, Santoff Claussen," she said. The image appeared, showing a room with a giant globe. Percy stood with his back towards them. It looked like the other people in the room were interrogating him. 'Percy was right again,' Annabeth thought as she noticed the giant rabbit, the big round man and Jack sitting on the top of the globe. When they heard the message, they all turned.

"Ok, that was not me," Percy said.

"Bad timing?" Annabeth asked. A reply of "No" and "Yes" came at the same time. Percy and Bunny glared daggers at each other; emerald green meeting sea green. Not one of them flinched. Until realization washed over Maddy and excitement bubbled up inside her.

"Bunny!" she said. Bunny was shocked by the little girl's outburst and looked towards her. Then he smiled.

"Bunny, you are, like, my favorite Guardian of them all. Thanks so much for what you do," Maddy said.

"No problem, ankle-biter," he said.

"Annabeth, what's going on?" Percy asked.

"I'd like to know the same thing," North said looking at the image in wonder and curiosity. It was such an unusual sight that even Jack drifted down from his spot on the globe.

"I'll explain later," Percy said then turned back to Annabeth.

"You were right, Seaweed Brain. There was a prophecy," she said.

"What is it?" Percy asked even further confusing the Guardians. Annabeth recited the prophecy as best she could as though it was coming from the Oracle.

"'_The shadow king rises to power,_

_Making all those who pass hide and cower._

_Mother of all will lead the way, _

_Sending the heroes on their way._

_Water and ice shall break the spell,_

_Sending evil back to hell._

_Sun and wisdom shall come to call,_

_But beware the life that affects us all.'"_

**A.N**

I'd like to start off this time saying: Yes. For those of you who asked, (And you know who you are) "Count the shadows" IS a Doctor Who reference. **WHOVIANS UNITE!**

**Now I'd like to thank those of you who did the poll in my profile. I couldn't get this chapter done until I got her parentage. You may not know why I had to get Maddy's parentage before updating this but just take my word for it please. **

**What did you all think of the prophecy? That was the first poem I ever wrote. It's no Rick Riordan but it'll do.**

**Reply time:**

Turkeyhead987: Who said anything about forcing? Personally, I love hearing your ideas. I love hearing any ideas people tend to throw at me. And yours are just so dang good and work so well with the story. I love hearing them. That's part of being an author, I think, is hearing other people's ideas and not just listening to your own. Not that listening to your own is a bad thing… there would never be any stories that way…Oh never mind!

**TheLazyWordSmyth: **Ya know, I might just take you up on that offer :) You are the first person I'll come to. Thanks' so much.

**Guest: **Hey, hey, I love your enthusiasm for my story. I really do. Enthusiasm is good. Really good. And I thank you for that. But could you cut down on the cursing a little? Anyway, your review made me laugh and you gave me some ideas. Thanks. And as for Jack, I might pair him with someone, but it would kind of be agents my will because I just don't see Jack with anyone. He was a loner and still is a loner so it would be kind of weird to pair him with someone. That and I just don't like fluff. I might come up with something to satisfy your fangirl ;) But out of curiosity, what "skinny, pale, freckled daughter of Hermes with auburn hair" were you talking about?

Keeping everyone in character is one of the main things I'm worried about. Thanks' for confirming that for me. I like your Maddy/Jamie idea. I _might_ use that. (And to everyone else reading this, it is not what you think, I swear) But the thing with Pitch, I have my own idea on what I'm going to do with him :) *Laughs evilly and laugh turns into a cough.* I need some water *Water is handed over* thank you. So, yeah.

And what's wrong with British men? My favorite TV show is filmed in the U.K. Don't teas the British, man! JK… partly. :D

**RachelXJackFrost: **Who said they won't? :)

**Annabeth Brady: **I didn't notice you were a guest until you said something. I am so observant.

** .kawaii:** We will see, won't we?

**BatfamilyFan01:** We will see if that hatred will continue to the end of the story ;)

**GeekyGirlMeow: **I didn't think of that. That's a great idea. I'll work on that.

**DeathGuardian24: **In my defense, Nico even said it so I thought it would be cool to add into the story and to help people catch on to the irony of what the Guardians really did, which was kidnap the most powerful half-blood there is. Of course, I might have worded it wrong…

**Hi:** I see where you got that.

**theHuntress101:** True, but Pitch has gained power as well, that's why Percy was called. But in any other case, yes. Whoever threatens Percy's friends and family also threatens their life.

**Thanks to: HuntressofArtemis192,** **Reading-is-4-life,** **Rosepink4140,** **RyuNoRainbow, jessjess98, Monkeygirlz3, Young Heroes,** **CabbagePatch Kid, binglebop, shalalalalalala, Ryan Girl, Gigabyte2598,** **ericavaldez889, PurpleGoddess9 and Matsukaze Tenma.**


	6. Where to Start?

_"'__The shadow king rises to power,_

_Making all those who pass hide and cower._

_Mother of all will lead the way, _

_Sending the heroes on their way._

_Water and ice shall break the spell,_

_Sending evil back to hell._

_Sun and wisdom shall come to call,_

_But beware the life that affects us all.'"_

_**Chapter 6: Where to Start?**_

Nobody spoke for a few minutes after that. It was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. You could literally see the gears turning in the Guardians' heads, trying to process what had just happened and what they had just heard.

"What?" Was all Bunnymund was able to manage.

"That is what we call a prophecy. It tells what will happen in the future but it's never clear," Annabeth said.

"We just heard a bit of the future? How is that even possible?" asked North.

"There are a lot of things in your world that seem impossible to us. I guess it's vice versa," said Percy.

"Well, what did that prophecy mean?" asked Bunny.

"The first line said the 'shadow king'. Anyone know a shadow king?" Rachel asked.

"That part's pretty obvious. It has to be Pitch," said Jack, who was perfectly balanced as he stood on the top of his staff. "So…he's gaining more power and scaring everybody who he comes across. I thought you said prophecies weren't clear," Jack asked Annabeth, who shrugged.

"Usually," she said.

"Doesn't matter. We got the first part down. What's the next?" Percy asked.

_"'Mother of all will lead the way, sending the heroes on their way," Maddy stated. "Who's 'Mother of All'?" Bunny gasped._

_"North, is that who I think it is?" he asked._

_"Could be…," North replied, though he was deep in thought. Maddy could have sworn she saw a little strand of his beard twirling itself. Maddy smiled. Nobody else seemed to notice this, so she decided to let it pass._

_"Who are you talking about?" Jack asked._

_"Bunny and I think we know who Mother of All is. Jack, do you remember Mother Nature?" asked North._

_"Yeah, I remember her. She got mad at me for accidently freezing a meadow in the spring," said Jack. Bunny glanced at him with his eyebrows furrowed. "I apologized, of course. Like I said, it was an accident. I was probably only what…eighty, ninety, years old then and I was just getting used to my powers," said Jack with his arms raised. Bunny rolled his eyes but said nothing. _

_Annabeth looked outside, noticing for the first time the setting sun that was painting the sky a beautiful orange color. "Maddy, I think it's time to get back to camp. It looks like dinner is about to start," she said. Maddy looked outside, surprised at how much time had passed._

_"It's six already? How did that happen?" Maddy asked. Annabeth shrugged._

_"I dunno," she said than turned her attention back towards the I.M. "Percy, remember what I said earlier? That if you die I'd personally bring you back from the underworld myself? "_

_"Yeah, why?" Percy asked._

_"I'm doubling that. You better not die on me," she said._

_"Even If I do go to Elysium I would never be completely happy without you," said Percy. Annabeth laughs._

_"Good," she said. "Percy, just…just try not to disappear on me again."_

_"I swear on my life that that will never happen again," says Percy. Annabeth nodded satisfied._

_"Come on Maddy. We'll be late," she said. Maddy waved at the Guardians before being steered towards the elevator by Annabeth._

_ "So…Mother Nature. That would be a good piece of the puzzle. But what does she have to do with anything?" asked Jack._

_"I guess the only way to know is to ask her ourselves," said North._

_"Maybe, she can help defeat Pitch!" Jack said._

_"If she wants to," whispered North. Apparently, he thought no one could hear him but when everyone went quiet, he looked up._

_"Why wouldn't she want to help?" Jack asked. North waved his question away._

_"If we are going to pay her a visit, I'll let her explain," said North._

_"So we know where to start. Mother Nature," Percy stated._

_"Erm…"_

_"What?" asked Percy._

_"Well…none of us really know where she actually lives," Bunny said. Percy thought for a little bit._

_"Rachel, Got any ideas?" He asked. Rachel was about to answer when she heard a jingling noise by the door as if someone were trying to unlock it. Her father was home. She turned back towards the Iris Message, mouthed the word 'bye', than waved her hand through the watery image._

_"What was that about?" asked Jack._

_"Her parents don't know about our world, so Iris Messaging is kind of a big secret. Along with everything that comes with it," Percy explained._

_"That watery video-thing is called Iris Messaging?" North asked. Percy nodded._

_"So what exactly are we up against?" he asked, changing the subject before he had to explain how Iris Messages worked._

_"Last time, Pitch almost destroyed what we have sworn to protect. He almost made us all disappear. He tried to rule the world with fear like he did a long time ago in the Dark Ages and he came pretty close too," said Bunny._

_"I noticed you kept saying 'almost'. What stopped him?" asked Percy._

_"Jamie," was all Jack said._

_"What?"_

_"One child who believes. That was all it took, was one child. And Jamie will always believe," said Jack._

_"What do children have to do with you defeating Pitch? Kids stop believing all over the world, all the time," asked Percy._

_"Yes, but the children's belief is like our source of power. Imagine if the very thing that keeps us full and alive, vanished. Not unlike the food you eat," North said. Percy pondered that in his brain for a minute._

_"I guess that would be bad. And one guy, Pitch, did all that," he stated._

_"Well, almost. Like I said, as long as one child believes, we will be here," said Jack._

_Percy was silent for a while. "Do you think we could have a practice run?" he asks._

"What for?" North asked, but unnoticed by everyone else, Bunny smiled a competitive smile. He'd wanted a crack at Percy ever since he had first set foot in the globe room.

"We're fighting a guy who snuffed himself into my dreams and tortured me. I think it would be good if I knew exactly what we're up against," said Percy.

"I guess it would be good for us to see what Pitch is going to have to fight as well," Bunny suggested, masking the smile. Jack could easily tell Bunny was just itching to at least know what Percy was capable of.

"Bunny, you go first, if Percy doesn't mind," Jack said. Percy had a smile that matched Bunny's.

"Gladly," he said. Bunny got in his fighting stance. North yelled the word, "Go" and the duel started.

Bunny quickly grabbed for his boomerangs and started throwing, but Percy merely sidestepped and ran at his opponent. When the boomerang came back around, Percy ducked. Bunny jumped to retrieve his weapon and when he landed, he franticly tapped his giant paw on the ground. A bunny hole started forming around Percy's feet, but Percy jumped out of the way as fast as he could. The look of surprise on his face satisfied Bunny a little. But he didn't have time to bathe in the satisfaction yet because Percy had quickly recovered from his shock and continued his attack. Bunny tapped his paw again but the hole appeared beside Bunny this time and he jumped down it just as Percy passed him. Unfortunately, Bunny did not have the factor of surprise again and Percy knew what to expect. When he saw Bunny tap his paw, he started slowing down a little and jumped into the hole with him. Before any of the others could follow, the hole closed on them, leaving behind the signature flower to take the place of the rabbit hole.

The silence that followed was the loudest Jack had heard in a while. He looked at North, who shrugged and sat on one of the comfy lounging chairs at the corner of the room. Jack sat on the railing that separated the ground from the five story fall to the floor of the workshop. After a while of waiting, they saw another hole appear a bit further away, but nobody came out yet. Instead, they heard the loud grunts and yells coming from the bottom. The two sounded deep in the ground but Jack figured it best not to peek. He didn't want to risk getting hit by one of Bunny's boomerangs or even a paw, foot or hand.

Suddenly, the yelling stopped, and Bunny hopped out of the hole, followed by Percy. Bunny's face was full of anger at the demigod, yet Percy just had a calm smile. North didn't need to ask who won…it was clearly written all over their faces. Bunny mumbled something like, "Bloody, half god with his bloody tricks," as he walked over to North. Jack had to resist the urge to laugh.

"Me next," said North cheerfully. Percy was analyzing his swords as he walked into the ring. Wearily, North pulled out his two large swords. With the reason unknown to Jack, Percy smiled as though he had a plan. Bunny rolled his eyes. What confused Jack (and the others too, no doubt) even further, was that Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out a cheap balled-pint pen. Their confusion was replaced by shock when he uncapped the pen, and Jack had no idea how, but within a second a huge Greek styled sword was in Percy's hand instead of the pen.

"That's the same sword he used when I went to get him in New York. He thought I was an enemy or something and threatened me with it. I was wondering how he had it in his hands so fast," Jack whispered to Bunny.

"He didn't have a sword when he was fighting me," Bunny whispered back. Jack shrugged then continued to watch the duel.

Being the warrior that he is, North automatically studied strategies and weakness of his opponent. He and his swords were bigger than Percy's. Unless he was more skilled then him, Percy would be easily beat.

In his centuries of being an immortal guardian, North couldn't be more wrong. Percy fought with surprising speed and strength. Every time North swung his swords, it was blocked by Riptide. When Percy came in, it took all of North's strength to block it. Though Percy was stronger, North had been fighting longer and he had two swords against one. Needless to say, they were evenly matched. After about thirty minutes of dueling, the two Guardians called it a draw.

So far, they had seen his battle tactics and his strength, which was his sword. Now, they were going to figure out how well Percy was going to do with Jack. As Jack stood to get ready, he couldn't help but feel bad for Percy. Although he was a great fighter, Jack didn't usually do regular hand-to-hand combat. He usually fought from a distance with his staff and ice powers. Just like the rest of the guardians, Jack started the duel. He shot a few ice crystals at Percy, who quickly sidestepped and advanced. Jack then started to shoot more and more at Percy. Realizing what Jack was doing, he held Riptide higher and started deflecting the ice crystals with the blade. Jack shot harder and faster, trying to get somewhere. Percy was getting closer, and Jack made a jump into the air and tried to get at Percy from a different angle. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw a stray piece of ice fly past the blade. Jack thought he might have finally won the duel, but the ice started to liquidate into water. The water slowed down a little, but not enough to make it fall or lose course. It hit Percy square in the face.

Jack heard loud gasps behind him as he slowly descended back to the floor. He didn't need to look behind him to know the other Guardians were just as surprised and awestruck as he was. He, North and Bunny were now staring confusedly at Percy.

Jack was the spirit of winter, not summer. He froze water, not melted it. How did that happen? But that wasn't the end. The now melted ice that hit Percy's face seemed to evaporate quicker than usual and within a second; his face was as dryas possible. Percy grinned. All the Guardians were capable of doing at this point was wordless gapping; Bunnymund especially. Percy sighed and answered the loud, unasked question.

"You were right Bunny. There is more to me than just talking to horses. My dad is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea and earthquakes. He is also one of the three major gods on Olympus. Nice to meet you."

**xXx**

It had been an hour since Percy had shown his powers to the Guardians. Afterwards, the demigod found the perfect escape to go to the stables and check on Blackjack. In the meantime, the three Guardians were still in the globe room frozen with shock. Bunny was the first to speak.

"Poseidon. He's the bloody son of Poseidon!"

"That would make sense. Poseidon created horses out of sea foam. It's only fair that he could speak to them. I wouldn't be surprised if fish could talk to him," said Jack.

"How do you know that?" asked North.

"I read it in a library somewhere on Omaha," Jack replied.

"You read?" asked Bunny.

"You'd be surprised on how much free time I have," said Jack.

"Maybe we should start looking for Mother Nature now," North suggested.

"But where do we start? We don't even have a clue where she lives," Bunny stated. North was about to speak when once again, the familiar fizzling noise interrupted him. Right in the center of where the Guardians stood, water started rising out of the ground and formed an Iris Message. The red headed girl that was in the previous I.M. was sitting in front, searching the room for a certain pair of sea green eyes.

"Percy isn't in here, is he?" she asked. North shook his head. "I'll try again later," she said, and was about to disconnect the IM when North stopped her.

"No. What were you going to say?" he asked kindly.

"I didn't get the chance to say this with the girls here, then my dad came in and I had to go. He's asleep now so I took the opportunity. The prophecy said 'Mother of All' right?" she asked. Jack nodded. Well, I think I have an idea on where to start." She reached over and grabbed something and held it up for everyone to see. It was a painting of one of the most beautiful places North had ever seen. The first thing he noticed was huge mountains that touched the blue sky above. The sky was dotted with only a few white, fluffy clouds. The sun hit the mountains so perfectly that the golden light only touched half the mountain. Small patches of snow could be seen on the shadowy side of the tall mountains. The lower the mountains went, the greener it became. The whole bottom was covered with green grass. The grass was surrounded by a small body of water that flowed off to the side of the portrait. In the bottom right of the painting were a few pine trees on a small green hill.

"Did you paint this?" Bunny asked with a hint of awe in his voice. Rachel nodded proudly.

"Yeah. But that's beside the point. This is either western Montana, or Colorado. I can't be sure. But I'm positive it's one or the other. I _think_ it is Montana though," says Rachel.

"You're right, it is Montana. I've seen that place a lot while I was flying over that state. The place is beautiful. Where else would Mother Nature be?" Jack asked.

"Fantastic! We finally know where to start! Someone needs to tell the others…Jack you get Sandy; Bunny, you get Tooth. I'll tell Percy," said North.

"Why not just use the globe, North?" asked Bunny.

"We are only lacking two guardians. Besides, if I use aurora borealis too constantly, people will get suspicious. Now go," said North. Jack nodded and flew out the skylight, leaving behind a cool, winter breeze. Bunny shivered and taped his paw on the ground. His rabbit hole appeared and he jumped down it.

Starting on his own self-assigned assignment, North navigated his way through the busy yetis and elves to the wooden lift and dropped down to the stables. North opened the door of the lift and walked through the stables. Donner nudged his arm affectionately and North pet his head. Blackjack had his own stable which was mostly made for extra reindeer that occasionally passed by Santoff Claussen. Percy was sitting on the floor of the stable, leaning against the wall. He was absent mindedly fiddling with a piece of hay as he talked to Blackjack. North had yet to get used to that. It sounded weird when Percy was talking to someone, yet you could only hear half the conversation. If North had come across this scene two hours ago, he would have probably silently suggested a mental hospital for Percy. But he knew better now. He made a slight movement and Percy and Blackjack looked up.

"So you finally decided to tell them?" asked North.

"It was either that or get hit in the face with a solid piece of ice," said Percy.

"Don't you have that kind of healing food for demigods?" asked North.

"How do you know so much about us? Demigods, I mean. I come here expecting to have to give a full explanation of demigod life and yet here you are. And don't just say because you're Santa. As long as I've lived at camp I have never seen presents delivered over night or eggs hidden. Bunny didn't even know we existed until now and he hides eggs around the world. You know something. I wouldn't ask if it was about someone else, but since it is about me and my world, I think I have a right to know," said Percy.

North shifted uneasily but sat next to Percy and replied with, "In your world, you have the goddess of the moon, right?" Percy nodded. "What if I said she isn't the only one who is in control of it?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"There is a man who lives in the moon due to an accident that occurred over a thousand years ago. He is known to us as the man in the moon, or Manny. At least, I call him Manny,"

"So, he's the one who told you about me, my camp and my life in specific detail. Good to know. If he lives up there-" he nodded towards the window- "Than how did he tell you?"

"He showed me in a dream,"

"So immortals do need sleep. I was right,"

"What?"

"My girlfriend, Annabeth, said immortals don't need sleep. I disagreed with her. And I was right."

"We sleep, but not as often as mortals and not for the same reason. Usually it's when we're really stressed or bored, or need a lot more energy. Jack needs to sleep a little more than the rest of us because his powers can drain him sometimes."

"So…we were both right."

North laughed his jolly laugh. "Yes, I guess we were," he said as he heaved himself up. "By the way, we found where to start. Your friend, Rachel, is very talented. She used that watery, video chat…thing and showed us a painting she did of western Montana. She says that's where Mother Nature is."

"Then I guess that's where she is, if that's what Rachel said. How are we getting there?"

"I do not know. Quite frankly, I was surprised to see you flying, but I guess it makes since now."

Percy smiled. "Yeah. That's like my little loophole. I can ride Pegusi the same way I can talk to horses. Poseidon created horses and my uncle can't shoot something out of the air that is not his property."

"I know. Jack told us."

"Jack? How'd he know?"

"Apparently, he read it in a library. Back on topic. What are you comfortable with? I mean, with transportation."

Percy shrugged. I guess I'm ok with the portal, now that I've used it and know what it's like. But I don't think it's a good idea for me to ride that sleigh of yours…unless you don't mind the fifty-fifty chance of being shot by lightning."

"Bunny's scared of the sleigh as it is. We don't need to give him any more reason to be scare." North smiled. So, could we hook Blackjack to the sleigh?"

Blackjack stomped his hoof on the ground four times and threw his head in the air, whinnying angrily. Percy covered his ears and looked at Blackjack. "Ok, I get the message. No need to start acting like Arion. Calm down." Blackjack didn't seem to like that comment. He started cantering around the stall (careful not to step on the two Guardians)

"Who's Arion?" asked North.

"He's my friend's horse. He and Blackjack don't really like each other. And I've only heard one or two sentences that he has said that do not involve cursing," said Percy, glancing at the Pegasus through squinted eyes. "I'll just ride him alongside the sleigh if you don't mind."

North shook his head. "Go ahead," he said.

"When are we leaving?" asked Percy. North shrugged. "Should I go ahead and repack?"

"I would," said North. "We will leave when you are done."

Percy stood and stretched his muscles. He went over to Blackjack, pet his long neck. He leaned in and whispered something in his ear, and left.__

_**xXx**_

_As Percy put his duffel bag on his bed, he noticed the temperature suddenly start to drop slightly. Percy may have only been here for one and a half days, yet he already knew what that meant._ Although Jack's footsteps were silent, the dropping temperature was his calling card. He knocked on the door and Percy opened it.

"I wanted to help you pack," said Jack.

"I don't really have that much to repack, actually. See, I'm leaving what I don't need and taking what I do. Like this shirt I'm taking. This picture of Annabeth, I'm leaving." When he finished talking, he walked into the bathroom and came out with nine golden coins in one hand and a shoe in the other. He set them by his yellow duffle bag. "So, what's Mother Nature like, anyway?" he asked Jack.

"She's very regal and not always kind, but she is very forgiving and understanding. Just try to not get on her bad side. Believe me, I know," Jack said with that twinkle in his eyes.

"That bad huh? You'd think she would understand, considering the facts," said Percy.

"Not really. I mean, messing with the seasons is a big deal. Especially for the woman who was created to keep the seasons in balance. No. If anyone overreacted, it's the spring spirit of spring. I think I still have a burse where she whacked me." Jack rubbed his head as he recalled the memory in his head.

"So, there are other spirits like you?"

"There are all different kinds. But there are only four main ones; summer, autumn, spring and winter. The others are kind of reflections of us I guess you could call it. Tooth is a reflection of summer; Sandy I think is fall and North is winter. He has those snow globes and Bunny is a reflection of spring. He has springy powers, like making flowers bloom in unusual places when he leaves in one of his holes. But he is not the spirit of spring. He's not as bad as she is," said Jack.

"That's hard to believe," Percy mumbled. "What's his problem anyway?"

"Hey, don't put it all on him, he's just upset. Look, twice now, MiM has chosen a new guardian. And you're not even immortal. I think that's it, mostly. First me than you. It's a lot to take in and I guess he's still trying get used to it. Give him time. I'm sure he'll get over it.

"So, he's not too fond of me because I'm mortal. Go figure."

"He didn't like me either at first."

Percy shook his head and went to his bed and zipped up his bag. "Ready to go," he said.

_**A.N.**_

_**Ok, I know this was a weird chapter. Especially with my description of the different seasons, and the whole thing with Bunny and Percy. No need for any flames about it. Sometimes I know what I want to say I just have no idea how to put it into words. I don't know if you've noticed, but this is one of those times. When this happens, I just keep going and pray it gets better. Believe me, I have a headache thinking about it.**_

_**Other than that disturbing note, I got a few things to say here, so bear with me. First off, sorry if I didn't catch Bunnymund's personality as well in this chapter. It's a lot harder than it looks, keeping characterization right. At least I tried. **_

_**Since doing the poll was fun the first time, (The one with Maddy and her godly parent) I made another one and put in my profile. About every three weeks I'll make a new one if you want to check it out. But if I make one that is crucial to one of my stories, I will be sure to tell you, so don't worry.**_

_**Next, and I have been meaning to tell you this, I have started a co-written story with my friend, Callofthewolfrunner. The story is on on her page if you want to check it out. It's a crossover of Maximum Ride and Percy Jackson. Just thought I'd let you know.**_

**jessjess98: **lol. Keep trying; I'm sure you'll get it.

**Yo:** That's a good idea. I think I'll do that…just mot the exact way you said it. :)

**Guest:** I figured Bunny would be the most upset with Percy's arrival. Look at how he acted with Jack for instance.

**Ice Wolf Fang: **Why, thank you very much.

**Pwnie3: **ALLONS-Y!

**Pirate-Spy-Demigod-Wizard: **That is just another thing I didn't know. Thanks' for that information.

**anonymous2033: **Please keep in mind that is my first poem, or anything close to a poem, so I don't doubt if it's bad. I just really wanted to get it finished so I could update.

**Binglebop: **Each chapter gets longer and longer as well. :) Funny, when I write, it seems like I haven't written that much, but when I look at how much words I have, it is usually a huge number. ;)

**WordSmyth: **As I keep trying to say, Percy doesn't completely trust the Guardians 100% yet so why would he say every deatail about him, especially his powers? I know I wouldn't.

**SilverKnight121: **so what if you read this a little late? I'm just glad you read it. :) Thank you.

**Turkeyhead987: **Ok, I'm officially counting you as my best friend over FanFiction. :D And thanks' BTW

**Number1Bookworm: **It took me a long time to catch up after my friend introduced -no- corrupted me with Doctor Who :) Don't worry. You'll get there.

**Thanks' to: Hi, ****gamelover41592, ****OBSESSEDWITHpj, ****Annabeth Brady, RachelXJackFrost, shalalalalalala, theHuntress101, violleet, kellysprenkel, Guest, WatermelonPushPopsAreCool, Guest**


	7. An Old Enemy, A New Secret

_**Chapter 7: An Old Enemy, a New Secret**_

_There was nothing. Nothing could be seen. Nothing could be heard. Nothing could be felt. It seemed as though he was floating in a big void of nothingness. And he hated it. All he wanted to do was break away from the emptiness and escape somehow. But it was a hopeless struggle. There was nothing he could do; nothing to grab for or run on. He was a prisoner. And he was terrified. Would he ever see the light of day again? Because right now, everything was Pitch Black._

**xXx**

Jamie sat straight up in his bed with a start. All he could think about was the dream he had just suffered from. After he calmed down a little, he felt his pillow, which was wet from sweat. He flipped it over and lay back down. He looked at his clock. It was about seven in the morning. Jamie moaned. It usually was around that time when he woke up from these weird, reoccurring dreams. Every night for the past few days had been like this. But not the first night. It was different. It had started out like a normal dream: sometimes he was at the North Pole with Santa, or in the Warren with Bunny. But most of the time, he was with Jack; ether sledding, flying, or skating. But the dream then started to flicker in and out of focus, changing his vision from blurry, to clear then blurry again. It was as though someone was fighting to keep it happy, while someone else was trying to invade with darkness. Jamie woke up before there was a clear outcome. But the second night, there was nothing. The happiness had left and nothing seemed to take its place. That was just it: nothing. There were no nightmares at least, but there was no happiness. The nothingness scared him though. It continued on like that for a while. And Jamie would wake up scared every morning. He wanted to scream but he didn't want to worry his mom. Besides, she would probably try to take him to a therapist or something to figure out what was going on in his life that would cause him to have the dreams. And Jamie couldn't say his hunch about why they were happening. They were adults. They wouldn't understand. The only people he could tell were his friends and he hasn't seen them since that Friday Jack had last come.

Come to think about it, the dreams started after Jack had left that day. Jamie started getting worried. Where was Jack? He said he'd come back. He hadn't come back. 'He'll be here,' Jamie told himself. 'He always does.' Jack may promise, but sometimes, to a young, immortal, winter spirit, a few days, would feel like a few minutes or so. Jamie knew Jack was capable of taking care of himself. So, why was Jamie still worried?

He looked at the clock again. It was around nine now, which was about the time he usually got up on the weekends. Jamie sighed and got out of bed. He changed out of his PJs and into his normal clothes and went downstairs to find his mother and his sister waiting for him by the kitchen table.

"Morning, Mom," Jamie said as he sat at the table.

"Morning hon. Hungry?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

"Sure," said Jamie. He grabbed for some cereal and poured it in his bowl. Sophie was already halfway through her bowl.

"Jamie, I'm going to the store with Sophie after breakfast. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good. Hey, Mom, can I go visit my friends today?" Jamie asked.

"Why? You go outside almost on a regular basis. Why don't you take a break for this one day?" asked Mrs. Bennett.

"But it's Sunday. Tomorrow's a school day. I won't be able to see my friends as much. I don't even have them in my lunch period," Jamie argued. Mrs. Bennett thought about this.

"Have you done your math homework?" she asked. Jamie became a little red faced.

"Um…no…," he said sheepishly. Mrs. Bennett sighed.

"You can go out, only if you promise to get that homework done before you go to sleep," she said.

"Yes! Thanks Mom!" said Jamie. He quickly finished eating then ran to the door.

"Don't forget your…" the door closed. "…Hat," Mrs. Bennett said smiling at her son's excitement. Then she turned to Sophie. "Go get dressed," she said. Sophie hopped off her chair and walked up to her room.

**xXx**

Jamie ran toward his friends in the park. When he finally reached them, he was panting.

"Jamie, are you ok?" Avery asked.

"I…need…to…tell you…something," Jamie huffed.

"What?" Claude asked.

When Jamie finally regained his breath, he said, "I think the Guardians are in trouble."

"Trouble? Trouble how?" Billy asked. He sounded scared now.

"I've been having these weird dreams. It's like Sandy's not even there anymore," Jamie said.

"What's the dream?" Claude's twin brother, Caleb, asked. Jamie then went into a full description of his dreams; the dark, empty void of nothingness, the scared feeling he gets every night, everything.

"They started when Jack left," he finished.

"That is kind of weird but it's not out of the ordinary. I mean, people get bad dreams all the time, right?" Avery asked.

"Yeah, but this is worse than a bad dream." said Jamie.

"Jamie, I don't think there is anything to worry about. Besides, if something was wrong, Jack would tell you, right?" Caleb said. Jamie was still unconvinced but nodded anyway. Questions started filling his head. Where were Jack and Sandy? Were the others ok? Why was he the only one getting these dreams? And why was it that no one believed his words? Jamie tried to shrug it off for now. He didn't want to worry his friends either.

"I guess you're right," he lied.

"Great," said Billy with a relieved tone. "So what do you guys want to do? The snow is too squishy for a snowball fight."

"Why not try hide and seek? Or tag?" Avery suggested.

"Let's play hide and seek. This is the perfect place for it," Claude said.

"Who's going to count?" Billy asked.

"I'll do it," Caleb said.

"Good. Remember, count to thirty to give us room to hide," Avery said. Caleb turned and covered his eyes.

"One...two…three…" he said.

Jamie and the others took off for the woods. Jamie was about to hide behind a tree, but he heard someone "Psst" behind him. He turned and saw Cupcake crouched behind a statue of a family. She gestured for him to come to her. Jamie crawled toward her quietly.

"I believe what you said about the Guardians being in trouble," she whispered. "I've been getting the same feeling. Not by dreams though. It's been getting slightly darker every day and the fact that the snow is melting at this time a year says a lot."

"Thanks Cupcake," Jamie said.

Suddenly, they heard Caleb say "Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, THIRTY! Ready or not, here I come!" Jamie crawled back to his hiding spot behind the tree.

After everyone got bored with Hide and Seek, the group played hopscotch, then tag, then a mix of other games. Nobody noticed it when, at noon, Jamie's shadow was darker than ever. And nobody noticed it when Jamie was the only one with a shadow.

**xXx**

After a while, Jamie realized it was getting dark quickly. "I got to go," he said. The others looked at the sky and agreed. While Jamie was walking home, the sun had gone down completely. Jamie shivered. It started to feel like his dream. The only source of light there was, were the street lamps and the occasional house lights in the windows. Jamie started walking a bit faster. His house was only a block away. He wanted to get there quickly as to get out of the dark night; even if it meant having to do homework sooner.

Then he heard the sound of light horse hooves clopping down the street. Jamie's heart pounded in his chest but he didn't stop or slow his pace. The last time he had heard horse hooves clopping that lightly was when…

Jamie broke into a run. The hooves started galloping. Jamie tried to put as much distance between him and the clopping sound as possible. By now he could see the faint silhouette of his house, which compelled him to run faster. The Nightmare was catching up on him. 'Come on, come on, almost there,' Jamie thought to himself. He was now just feet away from his fence when the black sand engulfed him.

**xXx**

"Annabeth, what would New York be like in the future?" Maddy asked. The pair of them were flying over New York from Rachel's penthouse. It was dark now, so all they could see were the lights of the city below them.

"How far into the future are we talking about?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know…a billion?" said Maddy. Annabeth shrugged.

"I don't know what kind of technology we'll have then. But I can guess some things that will change if we keep this up," said Annabeth.

"Like what?" asked Maddy.

"Like the name maybe?" Annabeth replied.

"Could be. But what do you think it will be changed to?" Maddy asked.

"Hmm…a billion years you say? By then it'd probably be changed to New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New York by then." The two girls laughed. Just then, Maddy heard something that sounded relatively close to a horse's gallop.

"Did you hear that?" she asked Annabeth.

"Hear what?" asked Annabeth.

"It sounded like a horse," said Maddy.

"Maddy, we're _on_ horses," Annabeth said.

"Yeah, but the sound was coming from behind me," the young demigod replied.

"Don't be craz-" Annabeth heard the same thing but this time, louder. The two looked at each other then slowly turned their heads. Behind them was what looked like an entire heard of…horses? It was hard to tell but Annabeth could faintly make out the black hooves galloping through the sky as though the horses were running on an invisible pathway that led straight towards them. Each and every horse had the same pare of gold eyes that glowed through the darkness of the night.

"What the Hades…?" Maddy asked. Although the darkness hid most of the mares, Annabeth could see thousands of their glowing eyes. The herd stretched as far as the eye could see and she figured even more were behind them. They looked more like an army then a herd.

"Hold on!" Annabeth instructed Maddy as she tangled her fingers into Porkpie's mane. "Yeah!" she yelled. The two Pegusi started flying at top speed, trying to get as far away from the mares as possible. When the Pegusi started flying faster though, so did the mares.

"There gaining on us!" Maddy yelled. She was right. Annabeth risked another look behind her and saw that the mares were only about ten feet behind them. Now that they were closer, Annabeth could see more detail of them. She could now see little grains of black sand here and there. Their mane, tails and hooves had little trails of sand that flowed behind them.

'_They're made of sand!'_ Annabeth thought to herself_. 'But why are they made of sand?'_

"Maddy, Get your dagger! Now!" Maddy did as she was told and took out her weapon immediately. Annabeth did the same.

"What are they?" Maddy asked.

"I have no idea," said Annabeth. "Maybe we could… LOOK OUT!" she said just as one of the mares appeared right beside Maddy and started snapping its teeth at her. Maddy screamed, then jabbed it with her dagger. The horse exploded into thick, black sand and the mare's golden light for eyes, went out. Annabeth expected it to explode into golden sand like the other monsters she had faced, but then again, this wasn't like other monsters she had faced. _'These must belong to the other world; Jack's world.' _Annabeth thought.

Maddy shook the sand out of her eyes and looked confusedly at Annabeth. Before she could respond however, another appeared behind Annabeth and whinnied at her. It tried to get closer to her but Annabeth sliced it with her dagger. Luckily, the wind blew the sand the opposite direction from her. The two girls tried to fight them as long as possible, but when one exploded, another would immediately take its place. There was just too many of them. Pretty soon, the mares surrounded them and the fighting the demigods were doing became a useless battle. The horses engulfed Annabeth and within a second, everything disappeared; leaving only the two Pegusi and Maddy behind.

xXx

"Guys, I think I remember where Mother Nature lives," said Tooth. "I just didn't remember which state it was. North, I think she lives at Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve." North did as he was told and threw the portal. Instantly, the swirling vortex of different colors appeared above them.

"How do you know where she lives?" Jack asked.

"She and I used to talk all the time a long time ago," said Tooth said.

"Wow," Jack said and he followed the other Guardians flew through the portal.

When Percy and Blackjack flew out, he was greeted by the sound of water falling. Sure enough, the first thing he saw was a giant waterfall. At the bottom, a beautiful blue river flowed gracefully between two snowcapped mountains that touched the clear, blue sky. Tall pine trees occasionally dotted the grassy area at the bottom of the mountains.

"_How come we haven't been here sooner?" _Blackjack whispered to Percy.

"I don't know…too far away?" Percy suggested. Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Bunny asked.

"Talking to Blackjack," said Percy. Tooth shook her head, then her eyes fell on something that was oddly familiar to her.

"There," she said as she pointed towards this cave-like structure kinda near the waterfall. Some of the river's aces water flowed into the cave and a little of the waterfall's water fell over its mouth. North snapped his reigns and the reindeer dove towards the cave but Percy blocked their path.

"WHOA!" North yelled, trying not to run into Percy. The sleigh swerved off course and North steered it to fly around the waterfall.

"I think my carrots I ate earlier might make an appearance. What was that for anyway?" he asked.

"We are going to a nature preserve with a natural pool during the spring on a Saturday. Don't you think a giant sleigh is going to draw some attention?" said Percy.

"Good thinking, Percy," said North and Sandy clapped his hands.

"Thanks," Percy said. Instead of landing the sleigh right in the center of attention, the Guardians agreed to land it closer to one of the mountains, as not to be seen. As they walked closer to the cave, Percy noticed a parking lot a few miles away and a trail leading from it to the cave.

"Excuse me sir, the preserve is currently full. You will have to wait for someone to leave if you want to enter," a security guard said to Percy.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Only sixty people allowed in at a time. You are going to have to wait." Percy looked at the Guardians for help but Bunny shook his head. "He doesn't see us. He outgrew us a long time ago. We're invisible," he said.

"I could freeze him. He won't even feel a thing," Jack suggested. North nudged him. "Or not." Percy turned his attention back towards the guard.

"Sir?" the guard asked. Percy turned his attention back to him.

"Look, I know you were just doing your job, but I really need to get in there. My mom's in there and my dad just dropped me off. My parents are divorced, you see, and I'm supposed to meet my mom when I got here," said Percy. The guard looked convinced.

"Do you at least have a ticket?" he asked.

"I didn't know I needed one," said Percy.

"It's ok, I got one. But you're gonna have to buy it," the guard said as he pulled a ticket out of his pocket. "They are thirty dollars."

"I don't have that much money," said Percy.

"Ohh, I do," Tooth said. She fluttered over to Percy and handed him the three tens. Percy grabbed the money quickly and put it in his pocket before the guard could tell that the money was handed to him.

"Never mind. I just remembered that my mom gave me money before I left. Here." Percy handed him the money but the guard didn't take it.

"Your mom gave you money? I thought your mom was in there." He gestured towards the preserve.

"My…step mom gave me the money," said Percy.

"Oh," the guard said perplexed as he took the money. "Enjoy the day."

"Thanks'. You too…" He looked at North for help.

"Fred," North said.

"…Fred," Percy finished.

"How do you know my name?" Fred asked.

"Your name tag," said Percy, then quickly walked past him and the Guardians followed. It took Fred a while to realize his uniform did not contain a name tag.

When the Guardians finally made it into the cave, Percy's first thought was 'it's bigger on the inside.' It took him a while to fully comprehend what he was seeing. As expected, the walls were completely made of rock. In the center was a huge pool of water. There was rock that surrounded the inside edges of the pool so people could sit as well as swim. People climbed to the top of the cave and jumped into the deep water from above.

At first, Percy thought the water was very dirty. Then he realized he was seeing the rocks at the very bottom; the water was crystal clear. It didn't look that deep, but judging by the way people jumped into it from the top of the cave, it had to be deeper then it looked.

"Tooth, do you remember how to get in?" Percy whispered. Considering he was the only one who could see the Guardians (other than a few kids who were too young to know what was going on) Percy didn't want to look like a crazy eighteen year old who still talked to his imaginary friends. It might make people start questioning him if something blew up later.

"Uh…I think there is a hidden door around here somewhere…oh yeah. The door is somewhere underwater," answered Tooth.

"So I need to look for it?" asked Percy.

"Well, this is right up your alley, considering you seem to be the son of water," Bunny pointed out.

"True…but what happens when I find it? Wouldn't it be weird if a giant door appeared out of solid rock?" Percy asked.

"We'll have to wait until it's dark so no one will see," said Jack.

"Alright," said Percy as he dove into the clear water.

xXx

He tried to act like he was mortal; like he couldn't breathe underwater; like he was able to drown like everybody else. He kept near the top as he looked and occasionally came up for air. He examined every inch of solid rock he could touch but so far, he found nada. He was about to give up and enjoy the newfound strength the water gave him, when his eyes fell on something he had never noticed before. Percy swam a little closer to it out of curiosity. It looked like one of those high-tech hand scanners; the kind they usually use when someone is trying to get into some top secret facility or something. Percy reached his hand out to touch it, until he remembered he was not alone. Instead, he swam back to where the Guardians were waiting.

"I think I found it. I saw this hand scanner type-thing. At first I thought it was part of the rock," said Percy as he sat on the ledge.

"That's got to be it. Right Tooth?" Jack asked.

"I honestly don't remember, Jack. All I remember is the underwater door. But comparing the two pieces of information, I'm guessing your right. What do you think, Sandy?" The guardians turned for the Guardian's opinion, but found him hovering a few feet off the ground with his head rested to the side and his eyes closed. He was fast asleep.

"Sandy?" Percy asked.

"It's ok, just let him sleep. All we have to do is wait anyway. We need these people to leave before we can really start," Bunny said.

"In that case, I am going to swim a round until then," said Percy.

xXx

"Is that all of them?" a guard asked. His companion, Fred, nodded.

"I don't see anyone else," he said.

"Good. Let's get out of here. My wife is making fried chicken."

"Hey, the weirdest thing just happened to me today. This kid, who I have never seen in my life, buys a ticket from me then says my name as he leaves," said Fred.

'Really? How did that happen?" the other guard asked.

"I don't know. I asked how he knew my name and he replied with, 'my name tag' as though it were obvious. But then, I looked down and didn't see a name tag anywhere on my uniform. I swear I never said my name."

"Hmm… I guess some things are better left mysteries. I remember one time…" his voice was drowned out by the wind as the two guards left to go home for the night.

"Clear," Jack said when he was sure the guards were gone. Percy came out of the water laughing. When he finally calmed down enough to talk, he said, "That guy will be scratching his head for at least a few months wondering what happened to him." Jack laughed along with him. Pretty soon, the others joined in as well. Even Bunny suppressed a smile. Then his face became serious.

''Can we get on with the quest now? Where is the hand scanner?" he asked Percy.

"It's down there by that big rock," said Percy as he pointed to where he found the scanner. "You don't mind getting wet, do you? If not, I can make an air bubble very easily..."

"Unnecessary, but thanks'," said Bunny. North was the first to get in. His big, round belly caused a loud splash as he sunk into the water. Jack froze the water and Tooth was already above splashing distance. Sandy and Bunny, however, were not as lucky. They were soaked.

"Sorry," North said. Next was Bunny, then Sandy, since they were already wet. The last ones to enter were Tooth and Jack. Jack was not too excited to get fully submerged in water. When he was human, he and his little sister went skating on a winter morning. The ice was thinner then it looked and started to crack around his sister, Pippa. Jack had managed to save her, but he ended up falling into the lake as the ice gave way. He remembered thrashing around, trying to get to the surface until he blacked out. It was the man in the moon who had saved him and turned him into the winter spirit he is today. But still, being underwater scared him a little.

"I-I can't," he said.

"What?" Percy asked confusedly.

"Jack has this fear of water," Tooth explained.

"He's dealt with me, hasn't he?" said Percy.

"No, Mate. It's being fully submerged in water that he doesn't like," Bunny said.

"As I said, I can make an air bubble if it helps," Percy said.

"No, I think I can do it," said Jack. Nervously, he put one foot in the water, then the other until he was standing waist-deep in the water.

"Good job," said Percy even though frost started coating the surface of the water around Jack. Percy had lost track of the hand scanner when he was helping Jack get in so he swam a little ways out looking for it again. But now that he knew what he was looking for, it was much easier to spot. Tooth placed her hand on the scanner. Within a second, they heard a satisfying 'click' and the wall started shaking. Then it started slide upward, sucking the water and the Guardians in through the secret passage.

xXx

The 'passage' was more like a huge, dark, underground waterslide. Percy could see nothing but he was comforted by the water's presence. Occasionally, he could feel himself running into something big and furry which could only be Bunnymund. When this happened, Bunny would push him away scowling. Behind him, he could hear Jack laughing as though it were a rollercoaster. Finally the slide started to even out and he could faintly see a light up ahead. One by one, each of the Guardians flew out of the underground waterslide and landed on something really soft Percy soon found out were pillows. Well, Bunny did. Percy landed on Bunny. Fortunately, Percy was quick enough to get out of the way before North came out. Unfortunately, Bunny wasn't.

"Ouch!" Bunny yelled as Sandy landed on top of North. At this point, Jack was glad he could fly. He and Tooth flew out gracefully. When Jack saw the Guardians' dog pile, Jack could not help but laugh.

"Oh boy. When this is all over, I seriously need to get a camera," he said.

"Where is Percy?" Tooth asked as she studied the Guardians.

"I'm here," said Percy. Tooth spun around and saw Percy sitting on the ground, breathing heavily. But he smiled and joined in on Jack's laughter.

"Now that was fun," Jack said. Sandy looked around and hopped off North. North surveyed the group.

"Where's Bunny?" he asked.

"Uhh…" Percy's voice trailed off.

"Would you be so kind, as to GET OFF ME?! Bunny yelled.

"Oops," said North as he removed himself from Bunny. Percy laughed then looked around to see where he was. Ahead of them was some sort of tunnel that was similar to the waterslide; dark and narrow. There was no hint of sunlight, but the walls were lit by small torches.

"Uhh, guys…?" Percy called. The Guardians looked in the direction Percy was pointing and the humor that hung in the air vanished- replaced by the eerie feeling the tunnel gave off.

"So… what now?" Jack asked.

"We follow the tunnel," said North.

"I was hoping you would say something like 'we go back and forget this ever happened' or something just as ridiculous," said Percy. Jack laughed. North ignored them and led the way down the tunnel. As Percy walked, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched by a pair of unfriendly eyes. "Does anyone else feel like…"

"We're being watched? Yes," said North.

"It's her," said Tooth. I remember having this feeling back in the old days. It turned out to be her the whole time. Mother Nature is watching us."

"Is that good?" asked Jack.

"Well, she hasn't killed us yet, so that's a plus," said Bunny.

Percy gulped. "How much longer?" he asked.

"It shouldn't be that much longer," replied Tooth. Sure enough, light could soon be seen at the end of the tunnel. When Percy reached it, his jaw hung open. It was the size of ten football fields merged together. The walls looked like a jungle; literally. Thick, green vegetation grew over 50 to 60 feet higher than the Empire State Building. Small green footsteps led through various levels of the vast vegetation. Some stairs led straight up to the different levels of floating floors. The ground in which the Guardians stood was completely made of plant compost. It proved to be compost because little flowers of different colors littered the ground. Standing in the center of it all was a woman in a flowing, green dress. Her long black hair was braided down her back with flowers.

Percy gasped. To everyone else, her earthy-green eyes would have been the most beautiful thing on the planet. But to Percy, they only stirred up anger and resentment. When her eyes landed on his, they flashed with recognition, then pure hatred.

"You," she said, her voice as hard as steel. Percy did not reply; only continued to watch her every move. The others were too surprised to even speak. "You've grown," she said. I would have thought the gods would have granted you immortality for your…victory."

"The time still wasn't right," said Percy. Tooth looked between the two.

"You two… know each other?" she asked.

"Know, loath, despise, yeah. We go way back," said Percy.

"How could you forget the last face you see before being put back to sleep for another thousand years?" said Nature.

"Put to sleep?" Bunny asked and a question mark appeared over Sandy's head.

"Hey, I'm not the one who wanted to destroy the God's with her earthborn Giants. I only defend them," said Percy.

"Oh, you are so lucky. If I were in Gaea's form right now…!"

"That's just it! Your Greek form is asleep! And we ensured that you would stay that way, Gaea!"

"I am not 'Gaea'. I am Mother Nature in this form. Here, I am not evil. That is why I don't like to show my true form. You of all people should understand the God's different forms," she said, then turned her back on Percy. "So what are you here for?" she asked the Guardians. "I assume it is not to bring the boy here to gloat about his victory."

"I wasn't-!" Percy started but North placed a hand on his shoulder to silence him before he could go into further argument with the Earth goddess.

"Look, we need your help," said North.

"What do you need _my_ help for?" Nature asked. Then her eyes widened. "What happened?" she asked. North sighed.

"It has happened again; Pitch has returned," he said. Nature knit her perfect eyebrows.

"I am well aware of Pitch's return. Let me guess, you want me to help me defeat him," Nature said. Tooth and Bunny glanced at each other and Sandy showed a series of images above his head_. "'It would be nice,"'_ Nature translated, then she shook her head with frustration. "Forget it! I'm not going to fight him."

"Maybe you don't have to," said Jack and all eyes were on him. "The Prophecy said _'Mother of all shall lead the way, sending the heroes on their way' _meaning she doesn't go with us. She only guides us." His icy blue eyes turned to Nature. "You know something, don't you? Something none of us know. Something you need to tell us."

Nature looked like she would rather be anywhere but here. She looked at North pleadingly but he shook his head. He would be no help here. She would have to tell them. She closed her eyes in defeat. "Ok," she said as she led them to one of the green staircases that led up to one of the floating lofts. On the top was a table with seven teacups in position. Everyone sat-everyone except Percy, that is.

"We will start with the beginning," she said. When I was born, my mother died, leaving me to live and grow with my father. He was a great man, and he was a great Protector. His occupation was keeping evil spirits from escaping there eternal prison. As a matter of fact, he was the best Protector there was. He devoted his life to protecting those he loved and those around him." Nature closed her eyes and breathed heavily as she recalled a painful memory.

"What does this have to do with Pitch?" Jack asked. Sandy nudged him and Nature continued.

""One day, while my father was guarding, he took his shift alone. I don't know why, maybe he didn't want anyone else to get hurt in case something went wrong. But while he was on duty, the spirits tried to tempt him to open the door and free them. They said they were tired of the darkness and just wanted to at least have a glimpse of sunlight. But he turned deaf to all their temptations. He pulled out a locket and opened it. The locket contained a picture of me as a young child. The spirits saw this and the girl's voice- my voice- spoke to him. I begged him to set me free even though I was nowhere near the cell.

'"_Daddy, help me. I got trapped in here with these spirits and I can't get out. Daddy, let me out! I'm scared."' _He could bear it no longer. He stepped over to the cell, took out the key and unlocked the door. A fraction of a second is all it took. The spirits escaped and surrounded him. They were so fast that running was not an option he had. Soon, there were so many that he could not even be seen in the darkness. They corrupted not only his appearance, but also his heart and soul with evil." She opened her eyes and looked around at all the Guardians. "I just told you Pitch's story," she said.

**A.N.**

**A'M ALIVE! Don't worry, I didn't die.**

**That's one more chapter done. Just a few more to go if the lengths keep up like this. Sorry for the long wait. I promise I will try to update faster then that. I hope this answered any of your questions about the Mother Nature/** **Gaea deal. In all honestly, I had forgotten about Gaea when I added MN. I'd just known from the beginning that I wanted to put MN in the story so I did, but I guess I wasn't thinking clearly when I did. Disclaimer: The idea of MN being Pitch's daughter was not mine. The original idea (Along with Mother Nature herself) belongs to William Joyce who is the author of 'the Guardians of Childhood' series. 'The Guardians of Childhood' is the book series that 'Rise of the Guardians' was based off of. Mother Nature is not evil, that's just her other form. Like the differences between Dionysus and his roman form. I guess when the Greeks heard of her, their imagination made her evil. I don't know. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this long chapter.**

**REPLY TIME! Wow that was loud. **

**Shalalalalalala: **No, Madddy isn't going to be the last believer. That is a really good idea though.

**Compliment Giver: **Percy's not weary about meeting MN. He's more…upset.

**Annabeth Brady: **Thanks'!

**Turkeyhead987**: You have no idea how happy I am when I see you reviewed and when I read your reviews.

**binglebop****: **I always mention all my reviewers in the previous chapter just for that reason. :)

**theHuntress101****:** MN is just a nicer version of Gaea.

**Pollex****:** A little, but she's forgiving. MN, not Gaea

**BobbyAwesome****: **Don't worry. "Count the shadows" is a Doctor Who reference and not just wishful thinking.

**JadePixie6565****: **You have nothing to worry about. I really enjoy writing for this story so I will see to it that it is finished to the very end.

**SomeRandomPerson: **No! Don't die! I have the next chapter here. Come back! But first, while you are there, could you say hi to Nico and Hades for me? Btw, is that Bunnymund's other cute form? Clever.

**Faeriefyre16: **I laughed hard with delight when I read your fantastic review! Thanks so much. I love fellow Whovians like you. WHOVIANS UNITE! ALLONS-Y! Dang it. I don't have a sentence for Geronimo. You get the jist though :).

**Thanks to: ****DeathGuardian24****, ****gamelover41592, .kawaii, PurpleGoddess9, RachelXJackFrost, bluefeatherofriverclan, Louisa4533, RandomKid, PJO-Blue-cookies and Clio**


	8. the Darkness Thickens

**A.N the story's climax starts in this chapter, just so you know.**

**Chapter 10: The Darkness Thickens**

By now, the Guardians were so shocked, no one could speak. The only thing that was audible was the sound of Tooth flapping her wings together. After about thirty minutes of the stunned silence, Jack coughed. "Pitch…is your dad?" he asked. Nature nodded.

"I see the family resemblance," said Percy.

"Percy…" Tooth started but Nature silenced her.

"No, from what he has seen of me, I understand how he got that," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Bunny.

Nature opened her mouth to start speaking, than glanced at Percy, who was shaking his head. Nature smiled and continued. Percy face palmed.

"A year ago, my other form, Gaea, tried to destroy the gods, which is Percy's…family, I guess you could call it," Nature explained.

"North explained about the different legends, but I still don't see how you can be two people," Jack said.

"I suppose North didn't explain to you that gods have many different personalities and can exist in many different places at once," said Nature. She glanced at North suspiciously.

"I don't know _everything_," North defended.

"You're a goddess?" Bunny asked, puzzled.

"Not only that. Gaea was known as the first goddess. The Greeks believed that the earth came first, then the titans, than the gods, than the demigods," explained Percy.

"Thanks," Nature said.

"My pleasure," said Percy.

Bunny whistled. "So, what happened with you and Percy?" he asked.

"Needless to say, Percy and his two camps found a way to defeat Gaea, but just barely," said Nature.

"God's can't die. They can fade, but that's only when their lifeline is gone," said Percy. "For example, the god of the wild, Pan, faded because there is not enough wild left in the world for him to survive. For Gaea, the earth goddess, the earth still exists so she can't fade. All we could do is put her into a deep sleep and hope she doesn't wake up," said Percy

"Yeah, and thanks to you, I can't show my true form from now on," said Nature.

"Hey, don't put it all on me. I'm not the one who tried to _destroy_ the gods!" said Percy.

"Neither am I!" Nature exclaimed.

"Maybe not, but you two are still connected," Percy argued.

"Ok, so if Hitler had a sister, who was completely innocent of any crimes despite her brother, would she still be punished?"

"Well, no…" said Percy, a little caught off guard.

"Speaking of pure evil, don't you have a battle to attend?" Nature asked.

"Uhh, right," said North. He steered the Guardians back towards the waterslide.

Nature sighed. "Percy?" she said. Percy turned.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I will let you know if she starts stirring." She didn't sound bitter when she said that. Percy nodded his thanks. Jack couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed to him that the two of them had just settled a silent disagreement that went deeper than the words that were spoken. Suddenly, the Guardians found themselves back in the cave of Hamilton Pool Preserve. It was still dark, which was good, but the darkness was slowly fading by the oncoming light of the sunrise.

"Where to now?" Percy asked.

"You need rest," Tooth said to him, noticing the way he was walking with a slight slouch and his eyelids dropping.

Percy fought to hide the evidence of sleepiness. "No, I'm not even that tired," he said.

"Percy, you need your sleep," said North. When the demigod refused to sleep, he called for Sandy. The little, golden man walked next to North, who leaned down and whispered something to him. Sandy locked eyes with Percy and smiled. Percy barely had time to blink before a giant ball of gold light hit him square in the face.

xXx

Annabeth's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was the position she was in. Her arms were spread out and she was standing at an uncomfortable angle. Experimentally, she tried to move her arm, but found her wrists bound to the wall by chains. She took in her surroundings but it was too dark to see much. All that was visible was a little boy chained to the wall next to her. There looked to be no life in him. His head hung limp and his body was motionless. He wore a long-sleeved blue Tee shirt and a thick, winter vest. His hat lay lopsided on his chocolate brown hair. Annabeth felt an automatic fondness towards the boy. He seemed to be no older than twelve years old; the same age she and Percy had shared their first quest.

That struck a nerve. 'I got to get out of here,' she thought. She struggled to break free from her bonds but she quickly stopped when the cuffs tightened around her wrists and formed small thorns that dug deep into her skin. She screamed in agony. The boy across from her moaned and shook his head. His eyes opened and he looked around. As he did, his eyes widened with a mix of recognition and fear. His breathing increased and he started struggling. He stopped struggling just as abruptly as Annabeth had when the thorns came out. The boy looked like he wanted to cry out but he held his ground, not wanting to let _him _know he was awake. Instead, he held it in.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," said Annabeth. The voice came unexpectedly and the pent up pain he was trying to keep inside, exploded and he screamed until the thorns subsided, along with most of the pain. Then his eyes focused on the girl across from him. She had long, curly, honey-blond hair that was crudely tied back in a ponytail. She wore an orange, Tee shirt with faded black letters that was now unreadable. Her disturbingly gray eyes watched him intensely.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Annabeth Chase. You?" the girl, Annabeth, said.

"Jamie. My name is Jamie Benet," he said.

"Do you know where we are?" Annabeth asked, than she cursed in Ancient Greek. How would a twelve year old know what was going on? But to her surprise, he nodded.

"Jack described this place so well that I'd know where I am if I ever ended up here; and he hoped I never would."

"Jack…Jack who?" asked Annabeth. Jamie's cheeks became red.

"Jack Frost. He and I are best friends. I don't expect you would believe me. Very few ever do."

"Are you kidding? Jack practically abducted my boyfriend." Despite the situation, Annabeth laughed. A small smile crept on Jamie's face.

"Really? That doesn't sound like him." Then his smile faded. "Is he ok? What about the other Guardians?"

"I-I don't know. The last time I saw Jack, he was perfectly fine and then some. I've never seen the other Guardians but Percy described them well enough."

"How do you and Percy know Jack? You seem too old in age to believe in him." Annabeth was about to explain when she heard a cold, metallic laugh.

"I thought I heard talking in here." His voice…the only way Annabeth could think to describe it was…evil. It was almost as bad as Kronus's.

"Pitch! How are you alive? I thought we beat you!" said Jamie. Wait, Pitch? Pitch Black? Annabeth thought, though she didn't dare speak.

A man materialized between Annabeth and Jamie. His skin was pail and he wore a black robe that trailed the floor. His hair stuck straight up as though it were styled with too much mousse. It only looked creepier. "You may have won the battle, but wake up! This is the war. Annabeth here would know all about that sort of thing,, wouldn't you, daughter of Athena?" said Pitch.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "How do you know me?"

"You sound like Percy. He said those same words."

"What have you done to him?!" Pitch waved her question away.

"I didn't come here to gloat," he said with a small smile forming on his pale face.

"For once," Jamie mumbled. Pitch turned to him.

"Ahh, Jamie Benet: the boy who refused to stop believing; so strong, so full of fun, hope. Not for long. Pitch was edging closer and closer toward him. He slowly reached his index finger towards Jamie's forehead. When his finger made contact with his skin, Jamie screamed in agony. Annabeth squeezed she eyes shut. She wished she could cover her ears as well. Even after the screaming ended, Annabeth still didn't open her eyes. "Annabeth Chase: official architect of Olympus," said Pitch as he turned to her. She heard metal on metal as his voice edged closer and closer towards her. Annabeth squinted.

Pitch was blocking her view of Jamie. When she closed her eyes, she saw a flash of silver. Pitch was standing directly over her now. She tried to kick him, but her leg only reached thin air. When she felt a sharp pain in her lower leg, she pulled back abruptly. She felt something hard wrap around her leg. When she struggled, the thorns came out. Tears started streaming down her face. She heard Pitch's cold, hard laugh.

Annabeth felt her dagger dig in to her side. She screamed again. Right then, she felt two to three bones in her ribcage crack. Then the dagger continued to slice her in her stomach like butter. Blood was pouring out of her like a paper bag filled with water. Then, the dagger retraced. But it reentered her chest. Right where her heart was. All the while, she heard Pitch's laughter. Annabeth was only just able to see her own dagger dripping with blood before she fell unconscious.

xXx

Percy's eyes opened to the clear blue sky above. For the first time, he actually had a _pleasant _dream for once without any nightmares. He figured that was Sandy's doing. "Where are we?" he asked.

"We're somewhere above Wisconsin, or Idaho. I always get those two confused," said Tooth.

"Oh," said Percy as he closed his eyes. They shot open a minute later. "_Above?"_ he asked. He looked around and noticed he was sitting in the back seat of North's sleigh. He slowly crawled towards the side and glanced over the edge. They were zooming over a forest of treetops that looked like a green blur with how fast the sleigh was going. Percy felt his stomach churn just at the sight of it. His eyes widened as he lay back down as low as he could at the bottom of the sleigh. He shut his eyelids as though they were glued together. He hoped he was still dreaming and the nightmares had just appeared.

"GET ME DOWN!" he yelled.

The Guardians understood why he was acting like that; he doesn't fly like this very often and on the very rare occasion that he did, he was prepared for it. But their understanding didn't help the situation.

Tooth tried desperately to calm him down but it was no use. "Percy…listen…we just…" but Percy either didn't listen or didn't hear.

Bunnymund was no help either. His position nearly mimicked Percy's; holding on for dear life at the edge of the sleigh and pushing down as hard as possible in his seat. But_ he_ wasn't screaming. "North..?" Tooth pleaded.

North turned. "I don't know!" he said. Sandy covered his ears. He made another sand ball to knock Percy out again, but North stopped him. Sandy looked slightly disappointed. Finally, out of a mixture of being desperate and annoyance, Tooth slapped Percy on the face. His yelling stopped.

"Listen to me," she said. Her voice was calmer than she felt. Percy looked at Tooth than gave a slight blush.

"Sorry," he said as he rubbed his cheek. He was suddenly brought into a memory from six years ago. He and Annabeth were at this abandon water park. They were surrounded by giant, mechanical spiders and spiders are one of Annabeth's worst fears. "So how come I haven't been shot by my uncle yet?" he asked.

"Look," North pointed to the front of the sleigh. Percy looked. His eyes had to focus a little, but the flap of Blackjack's wings became visible quickly. He was in the front of the reindeer. He was leading them! The reindeer didn't seem too enthusiastic about that.

"How did you manage that?" Percy asked.

"Bunny convinced the reindeer and Blackjack to work together just this once. Well, it seemed to be mostly Blackjack who need convincing. He finally agreed but we had to promise…doughnuts?" Tooth asked Percy suspiciously.

Percy shrugged. "He likes doughnuts. I've tried to tell him that they are not healthy for him, but he won't listen. So, what was going on while I was asleep?" he asked.

This is what they said:

After Percy had…erm…fallen asleep, Sandy went to do his nightly rounds. Sandy had explained that ever since Pitch's rise to power, he had been trying to invade kid's dreams with nightmares. Sandy had tried to protect them but since Pitch was so strong now, he overcame Sandy. When the nightmares reached Jamie Benet, Sandy had tried desperately to save him. The first night, Sandy won. The second night, Pitch came back and was so close to winning, but again, Sandy drew him out. Reluctantly, Sandy had to put up a barrier for Jamie. The barrier blocked out the nightmares, but also the good dreams. Sandy had not done this little trick in forever but since Pitch came so close to winning the last time, Sandy had no choice. Since then, the boy has been having no real dreams. But when Sandy left Nature's to do his rounds, he found that Jamie was gone entirely. When he returned and reported this to the other Guardians, Jack immediately flew to Burgess to see for himself if Jamie was ok.

Since nobody was going to ride him, Bunny then convinced Blackjack to help pull the sleigh and follow 'the albino boy' as Blackjack had put it. The Guardians cautiously loaded Percy into the sleigh and they were off.

"We wanted to wait until you were awake before we used the portal," North finished.

"What are we waiting on now? I'm awake, aren't I?" Let's go help Jack," said Percy. North threw the portal and the sleigh flew through it.

xXx

Jack was in the park franticly looking for Jamie by the time his allies came to his aid. He had searched every inch of his house and the streets leading up to the park. When North's sleigh came out of the portal and landed by Jack, he immediately flew up to greet them.

"Have you found…" Percy was about to say 'Have you found Jamie' but the look on Jack's face answered his unfinished question. Jack was so angry that tears came streaming down his face but before they could fall to the ground, the salty water turned into little pieces of ice.

Bunny was surprised at this. He had never seen Jack cry before, even if it was from anger instead of sadness.

"Jack…?" he asked, his voice filled with more concern than Percy had ever heard out of Bunny's mouth.

"Sandy's right. Jamie is gone," Jack said. "Pitch took him." He held out his hand and showed it to the Guardians. Lying in his palm was a small pile of black sand. "I found it on the sidewalk next to Jamie's house. I haven't seen any fresh signs of him." Bunny tried to put a comforting paw on his shoulder but Jack shook it away.

"We'll find him, Mate," he said.

Tooth looked around and noticed the sunset that colored the sky. "Um guys? It's getting dark. Maybe we should…" her voice trailed off. Something caught in the corner of her eye. The other Guardians followed her gaze.

Standing in the shadows of one of the taller buildings was one of Pitch's nightmares. Jack charged it.

"Jack, No!" North yelled. He immediately snapped his reigns and chased after Jack. When Jack got close enough to the fearling, it ran into the woods.

"Jack, stop! It's just trying to bait you!" Percy yelled. Then, Percy did something unexpected. He closed his eyes and Blackjack unhitched himself from the sleigh (much to the reindeers' distaste) and flew beside Percy. Percy jumped on his back and flew towards Jack at top speeds that were much faster than the sleigh. But he was still too slow to catch up to the young winter spirit.

"Jack, listen," said Percy. "Pitch wants you to attack him. He's more powerful than the last time you fought him and he knows you can't defeat him. Come back and we will think about it rationally." Jack ignored him. He started shooting ice at the beast, but it dodged. The chase continued: first the mare, then Jack, then Percy and Blackjack, then the sleigh with North, Sandy, Bunny and Tooth. The mare led them through the small forest outside of Burgess. By the time it jumped into the hole under a rickety, old, wooden, bedframe, the moon was glowing brightly overhead. Jack hesitated, allowing Percy to catch up with him. He slid off Blackjack.

"What are you going to do when you find him? He won't just let Jamie go. I have dealt with bad guys like this before and…"

"He has my best friend, Percy," Jack said. "Jamie is the first kid who ever believed in me. I can't let Pitch hurt him any more than he probably already has. I'm so close to him now and you want me to just let him slip through my fingers? I have to save him. Right now, I'm the only chance he has of getting out. I'm going in with or without you. Now are you coming?"

Percy looked at the other Guardians, who were coming in fast. "Lead the way," he said. Jack smiled and the two of them jumped down the hole.

xXx

Pitch's lair was a dark maze of different layers of concrete catwalks and stairs. Rays of light seeped through to various parts of the lair. The source of the light rays were nowhere to be seen. "Why would Pitch Black have light rays in his lair?" Percy asked.

"He's the 'Shadow King'. You can't have shadows without light," Jack replied. By now, the others had caught up with Jack and Percy. Slowly, the six of them crept further and further into the darkness. No one spoke. Suddenly, something ran right past North and he instantly turned in the direction it went, but found nothing. Then, they heard a voice that reminded Percy of Kronus. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"My, my. Your little group has grown. I remember when it was only four of you. Why, that wasn't that long ago, was it?"

"Pitch," Bunny yelled. "Why don't you come out here and show your face?"

Pitch sighed. "I quite like watching the show from up here but if you insist…" He materialized out of the shadows about five feet from where the Guardians stood.

"Ahhh!" Jack tried to charge at him but Percy grabbed him by the arm and held him back.

Pitch laughed. "Ah, Jack. Long time, no see. I believe I have something of yours," he said.

"Release him, Pitch," Jack yelled. Pitch sank into one of the shadows and reappeared on one of the higher catwalks.

"You want him back? Done," he said. He snapped his fingers and Jamie appeared out of the shadows at Pitch's side. Only, he wasn't exactly the Jamie Jack had gotten to know. His usual messy brown hair was now jet black, the same color of Percy's. His cloths matched his hair. He wore a black Tee shirt with dark blue jeans. His skin was pail. His brown eyes were turned into a gold-ish color. Not the golden kind, like on the nightmares, but still, it was unnatural.

Jack stopped struggling for a moment as he watched Jamie with shocked eyes. "Jamie…" His voice was barely above a whisper. "Jamie!" He started struggling but Percy only tightened his iron grip on his shoulder. "What have you done to him?"

"I turned him into my fearling prince. He will make a good servant for me from now on," Pitch mused. Because Percy was so busy keeping Jack sustained, he had no control over Toothiana's sudden attack on Pitch. She yelled as she zoomed towards him. But Jamie waved his hand almost lazily and Tooth flew into some kind of invisible barrier. She bounced back, slammed into one of the catwalks and fell to the ground. She sat up slowly and rubbed her head. She looked at the boy with a terrified expression. Jamie smirked-a cold grin that should have never even been seen on any child's face. He jumped off the catwalk and landed in front of the Guardians.

"Hello Jack," he said. Even his voice didn't sound right; more ancient, deadly. Defiantly not a regular kids voice, unless he'd spent his entire childhood locked up in the Underworld. Percy doubted that. Jack still struggled, but not as hard as he was before.

"And Percy, I believe I have something of your belonging as well," said Pitch with a lazy tone in his voice. One of the light beams moved to the left wall of the lair. Percy's heart felt like it fell into the River Styx. Right in front of him was the exact image he had seen in his dreams the first time he had encountered Pitch. Chained in a forced position against the stone wall, her body as broken as a shattered glass bottle, was none other than Annabeth herself.

All hell broke loose.

Percy lost control and charged at Pitch with his sword already in his hands, ready for use. Jack, now free of Percy's grip, flew to Jamie. Jamie cackled at Jack, and sent wave after wave of black sand at him. Jack froze the oncoming sand with his staff, sending it off course and the ice shattered on the hard stone floor. He moved around as he did this, occasionally shooting at the boy.

North, Bunny and Sandy were holding off the herd of Nightmares. Tooth was flying overhead with mares right on her tail feathers. At some point, one of the mares got a lucky shot at her and she fell. North and Bunny stood over her and tried to fend of the mares. North slashed through one with his long swords and it disintegrated, just as one of Bunny's boomerangs disintegrated another one. Sandy was concentrating on turning the mares back into his golden dream sand. He risked a glance at Jack's fight with Jamie. To Sandy's dismay, Jamie looked to have the upper hand. Sandy first made sure Bunny, Tooth and North could hold the mares, and then went to help Jack.

"Don't hurt him!" Jack said. "No matter what Pitch did to him, he's still Jamie." Sandy nodded in understanding, and then he smiled. A golden light bulb appeared over his head. Before Jack could protest, Sandy formed his whips and shot at Jamie's legs. "That's brilliant! Shoot at him, but not hurt him. Great!" said Jack as he followed Sandy's example. They continued like that for a while.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Jack noticed Percy. He fought, and he fought hard. When he got within arms' reach of Pitch, the Nightmare King merely shrunk into the shadows again. Then he reappeared behind Percy, but Percy somehow sensed it and turned just as Pitch swung his scythe. Percy blocked it with his Riptide and made several strikes before Pitch could do anything. It was clear even the Nightmare King was having a hard time with the sea god's son as he swung his celestial bronze sword. Percy fought with surprising strength and power, even more than he had used in the practice duel against North.

Slowly, a mixture of water and ice vapor started swirling around the demigod, forming a mini hurricane with Percy in the center. The other Guardians noticed the wind start to pick up and momentarily turned their attention towards Percy. Even though they knew better, Bunny and North looked at Jack with questioning looks on their faces. Jack was looking at Percy with eyes as wide as the rest. Then he looked back and shook his head. The message was clear. The source of the swirling vortex was Percy himself.

"Since when could he do_ that_?" Bunny asked with a hint of awe in his voice. But Percy's personal hurricane wouldn't last long; North could tell.

Jack was so distracted by Percy that he did not notice that Jamie was in the position for the final blow until Sandy whipped the boy's hands. Then the Guardians continued on.

Finally, Tooth regained her consciousness and began to help North and Bunny. With the three of them, the Nightmares exploded into black sand faster. A piece of Jack's ice hit Jamie In the head and he fell unconscious, though Jack made sure he did not do any damage to him. For safety reasons, Sandy tied his hands together in case he wakes up again.

Percy managed to get a lucky shot at Pitch, making him drop his scythe in surprise but Percy was so worn out and exhausted that his hurricane was starting to fade. Jack noticed this and went to help Percy by shooting ice at Pitch from different angles. The boogie man as well showed signs of tiredness; his strikes becoming slower and he was summoning less amount of sand. When Percy's hurricane dematerialized completely, he looked at Jack as if he'd just noticed Jack was there.

"Jack, get out of here! Fly as high as you can! Quick!" he said. Jack gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told. Despite how exhausted he was, Percy still had one more trick up his sleeves. He waited until Jack was out of sight, then Percy made an odd gesture with his hands. Pitch looked around confusedly then he smiled a wicked smile.

"What were you trying to do?" he cackled. "Stun me? You are a weak, pathetic fool with a weakness for your friends' safety. What makes you think you can defeat me, the Nightmare King? Even the Guardians couldn't keep me down for long."

Percy crossed his arms. Inside, he was panicking. Come on, come on, he thought. Suddenly, they heard a cracking sound above them. Percy guessed it was the roof, though it was too dark to see that high up. The cracking sound continued. Then the entire lair rumbled.

Percy smiled.

"Next time you want a fight, make sure it is not in a lair right below a lake," said Percy and the roof gave way. Eighteen hundred thousand gallons of water fell through the earth, completely dousing Pitch and his nightmares. Percy ensured the Guardians were safe though. He imagined a protective air bubble around Sandy and Jamie, one around Bunny, North and Tooth, and another one around Annabeth. Jack was already above the water's reach. Within a second, the entire underground lair was filled with water. Percy waited until he was sure the water had done its job then he imagined it going up. It did as it was commanded and floated upwards like an upside down rain. As it did, the Guardians' and Annabeth's protective bubbles popped. The water soaked into the earth, which, turned out to be a good sponge for now. The only signs that showed evidence of a flood Pitch himself sprawled out on one of the lower catwalks dripping wet and a giant hole in the roof where the water came through. Real sunlight leaked through it for the first time since the dark ages. Pitch sat up coughing, but at the moment, Percy didn't care about the boogie man. There was only one name on his mind right now.

"ANNABETH!" Percy yelled as he rushed over to the wounded girl.

Jack was the first to recover from the shock. He dove down to Jamie. The boy's hands were still tied together with Sandy's golden ropes and he was still unconscious.

"What now?" Tooth asked, breaking the stunned Silence.

"Maybe we could…" North started, but was interrupted by a faint, glowing green light that caught the Guardians' attention. The light glowed bigger and bigger and brighter and brighter. It grew to the size of a person. Then the light faded and in its place was a women with raven-black hair tied into a flowery braid. She was adorned in an earthy green dress. Her bright green eyes regarded Percy. Mother Nature. On her left was a little girl with wide, chestnut eyes and long, brown hair. She wore an orange, Camp Half-blood Tee shirt with Nike shorts and shoes. The boy on Nature's right had black hair that stuck up in every direction and dark eyes to match his hair. His skin was ghostly pail, though his long, Aviators' jacket hid most of it. Standing on either side of Mother Nature was Maddy Sanders and Nico di Angelo.

**xXx**

**DON'T SHOOT!** **I have the next chapter written, I just need to get it typed. It is official. Not including this one, only two more chapters left to do and this story will be done. I just wana say, I really enjoyed writing this for you guys and I want to thank you all for your support. **

**Oh, by the way, I have another Poll up. It would help me if you went to check it out. It's not crucial to the story, but it is still kind of important. **

**Reply time.**

**Alexis**: Of course there is Doctor Who references. What good are references if you don't use them?

**Julie:** *smiles* I was hoping someone would. :)

**Ice Wolf Fang: **How do you know we don't? You have no proof! Ok, just kidding. With the whole deal with MN was I was trying to find a way to put her in without making it too awkward or weird, but I was also trying to make a connection between her and Gaea. Gaea having two forms just made the most sense to me.

**Jennifer Snow: **Probably either Annabeth, because could give great advice, Percy because he is my half-brother (ok, maybe not, but still.) or Nico because he is just awesome. But if I had to choose one, I would choose Annabeth. What about you?

**Winged Werewolf of the Night: **Thank you for your fantastic review. Characterization is one of the things I have the most trouble with. Thank you for clearing that up for me. This chapter basically explained what happened to Jamie and Annabeth. They were the only ones taken because Pitch did not need any more prisoners than necessary. Jamie was around eight or ten in the movie but in my story, four years have passed so no he is about twelve years old. By the way, if you are only on the first season of DW (though you are probably on the second season by now) then you are in for the fantastic ride of your life. Just…watch out for major spoilers, ok? And um…are you my mommy?

**Clio:** Honestly, I laughed when you said that the worst part was over. My dear, the worst part had only begun. And thank you by the way.

**Alyssaaaaaaaaaaa: **Well, that's the beauty of Timelord magic; you don't know Timelords are behind it unless you know about Timlords themselves. Otherwise, you just think it's a trick of the light. At least Whovians know better. Whovians have the best chance of survival. We know not to look away when we see angle statues, we know what two shadows really means, I mean, we are good to go! And you are forgetting that New New York also has the Face of Boe, which turned out to be one of my favorite characters *cough* Jack *cough*

**shalalalalalala: **Don't worry, I didn't die. I almost did trying to write this chapter, but I prevailed.

**Binglebop: **That would be one funny paradox, but Mother Nature, (or Gaea for that matter) isn't really the bad guy right in this story. Right now, that's Pitch's job.

**Thanks to: gamelover41592, Turkeyhead987, jessjess98 and selena1234**


	9. Beware the Life That Affects Us All

**Chapter 9:** **Beware the Life That Affects Us All**

Maddy immediately ran to where Annabeth and Percy were. She slashed at Annabeth's chains repeatedly with her dagger, but it was no use. Then Sandy came over and gently taped the chains. The black sand turned to gold and fell uselessly to the ground. Maddy was a great healer, despite her age. She began working on healing Annabeth as much as she could, starting with feeding her some Ambrosia and dripping nectar over her body. She gave her more than usual, though still didn't risk feeding her too much. When proportioned right, the food and drink of the gods can help heal any demigod. But too much, can burn them up from the inside, literally.

Maddy then tried to cover the wounds and scars that Pitch made, but since there were so many, it was a difficult task. Lucky, she had brought a lot gauzes and bandages but seeing as how there were so many deep gashes, she used the gauze only on the most needed wounds and used the bandages on the smaller scars. Now that the blood had mostly stopped flowing, she used a big, wet towel to soak up most of the blood. Annabeth's Camp Half-Blood T shirt was so soaked; you would never know it was ever orange. Maddy tried to wipe it off, but it was hopeless.

Meanwhile, Percy was a bit distracted. He was looking at the son of Hades with a surprised look on his face. "Nico?" he asked. Nico gave his cousin a look that said _'I'll explain later'_. Percy turned his attention back to Maddy. Nico walked up to the wet figure sprawled out on the ground that was Pitch.

"You know who I am," said Nico. "I will give you a choice, which is far better then you deserve, and you know that."

"Who's he talking to? Pitch?" Bunny whispered to North. Percy shushed him.

"Leave now and go to the Fields of Punishment," Nico continued. "Or, fight and go to Tartarus where you belong. Your choice. Either way you will end up in the Underworld."

Then Pitch spoke but it wasn't with his voice. At the same time, Jamie sat up and said the same words as Pitch but they both seemed to be in more of a trance. They spoke in the same voice, but the voice sounded even more ancient than usual. "_Why should we listen to you, foolish boy? You can do nothing to us."_

Nico's eyebrows furrowed. "I am the son of Hades! Call me foolish one more time and I will ensure that you are placed somewhere far worse than Tartarus."

"_We have been here for eons. We refuse to just leave by the request of a foolish, mortal kid_."

"I did warn you," said Nico. He raised his hands and made a rude gesture with his finger. The wind started picking up fast. Something dark seemed to start emerging from Pitch, like Peter Pan's shadow getting away from him. Then it grew darker and became more solid. The shadow thing multiplied. Soon, a thousand of them were surrounding Pitch and Nico. Nico drew his sword. "_I_ am the Ghost King! I order you to go to Hell!" He plunged the blade into the ground. Directly in front of him a giant hole appeared. Inside it looked to be and endless hole with no bottom. The dark spirits made a hissing sound as they were sucked in. When the last one fell, the hole closed. After the ghosts left Pitch and Jamie's bodies, they had fell again. Now Pitch looked more…relaxed. Other than that, his appearance didn't change. Jamie however, looked like normal Jamie again. His hair was a messy mop of short brown hair; his eyes were chocolate brown as oppose to yellow, and his clothes were normal. But despite the words he had spoken at the same time with Pitch, he was still unconscious from the piece of ice that hit him on the head earlier.

Another few minutes of silence.

"Who the Hell are you?" Bunny finally asked Nico.

Nico smiled. "I'm Nico. You must be the Easter Kangaroo?" He held out his hand for Bunny to shake but Bunny didn't take it.

Before Bunny could make a smart remark, Jack interrupted with, "What did you do to Jamie?"

Nico turned to him. "Mother Nature told you about the spirits that took over Pitch's soul, right?"

"Is that what those shadows were? Old ghosts?" North asked. Nico nodded.

A series of pictures appeared over Sandy's head, but they were appearing and disappearing so fast, it was hardly readable. Somehow though, Nico managed to translate the pictures into words.

"I sent the ghosts to the deepest part of the underworld. They won't be seen for a while," he replied.

"How are you able to do that?" Bunny asked. He was either too shocked to remember the kangaroo comment earlier, or he was putting it aside for later.

Nico shrugged. "I'm the son of the underworld. Death is kind of my thing."

"But, what about Pitch?" Tooth asked.

"Oh, Pitch is fine," the demigod said. "The ghosts have been inside him for a long while, so I guess part of them became him. His heart is clean though…I think. He is still immortal, and has his powers, but I don't think they are as powerful now. He should be the same as he was before he was corrupted, but with slight changes." He turned to Jack. "As for Jamie, he is not hurt. Not that I see, at least. He should be as good as new in an hour or so."

From across the room, they heard Percy ask, "How is she?" to Maddy. His voice was pained as he spoke. The Guardians and Nico walked over to where Percy, Maddy and Annabeth were. Only Jack stayed behind with Jamie.

"Do you want me to be truthful, or do you want good news?" Maddy replied. Her face had a look of complete concentration. Percy glared daggers at her and Maddy sighed.

"Honestly, I am really worried about her. She has lost an awful lot of blood and her heart rate is alarmingly slow and getting slower. Frankly, I'm too scared to give her more Ambrosia. The stupid food doesn't even heal broken bones and there are a lot of them. Sure it will speed up the healing, but not fast enough in this case. I have done all I can. Gods I wish Will was here. He's much better at this than I am."

"I think I'd prefer it if you gave the good news," Percy mumbled. "Oh, Annabeth, I should have stayed with you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I am such an idot, such a Seaweed Brain." He started sobbing as he hugged Annabeth's body tightly.

"She's not dead," said Nico in a comforting voice. He didn't say what he was thinking though; 'she's about to be.'

"Percy, I think we should go back to camp quickly," said Maddy. "I don't know how much longer she can hold out." Maddy glanced at Nico for an answer but he sent her a silent message that said, 'not now,' then he gestured to Percy.

Finally, Percy shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. "You're right," he told Maddy. "I'll call-" before he could finish his sentence, a golden glow formed in the center of the room. Something small and white fell out of the light and landed on the floor. The glow died. Percy, Maddy and Nico looked at each other wearily then Nico walked over to the fallen object. It was a small piece of paper in a small, white envelope. Written in small, fancy writing was the words, HERMIES EXPRESS

"It's a letter," Nico confirmed.

"What does it say?" Mother Nature asked cautiously. She and North had been in the middle of a conversation when the light appeared. Nico opened the envelope. The letter was written in gold ink and beautifully handwritten. It read:

'_Dear Nico, I figured you would be the one to open this. Anyway, I am glad you all survived the fight. Now come to Olympus. Don't worry. Zeus won't kill you…hopefully._

_-Poseidon_

_P.S. Don't forget Annabeth'_

Nico read it out loud.

"Olympus?" Bunny asked. "How are _we_ supposed to get to _Mt._ _Olympus?"_

Jack nodded in agreement. "Especially if the Romans overthrew it," he said. "Besides, Olympus is in Ancient Greece." Again, everyone looked at Jack in surprise. "What? Like I said, I read. But sooner or later someone notices the temperature drop and turns the heater up. That's when I leave."

"Ok…" Percy said. "Getting to Olympus is not what bothers me. What I am worried about is what will happen once we get there."

"We can worry about what they will do with us when we get there. We need to get Annabeth out of here. We are running out of time," said Maddy.

"I am not going," Nature said.

"Why?" North asked.

"Olympus is the home of the gods," Nature explained. "The very same gods Gaea tried to destroy last year. My waltzing into their home territory would be like rubbing salt in a freshly cut wound. I am not going. Good luck with surviving." When she finished speaking, she turned into a ball of green light and disappeared.

"What was that about?" Nico asked. Maddy's confused expression mimicked Nico's.

"Mother Nature…is Gaea," Percy said. "Ok, we need to leave, and fast. Nico, do you think you can take Maddy?" he asked. The tired expression on his face answered his question. "No," Percy said. "Ok. North, how many people can your sleigh carry?"

"My sleigh carries a toy for every good child of the world on Christmas. It can carry a lot of people," said North.

Percy managed to give a slight blush. If Annabeth heard that, she'd probably punch him (playfully, of course) for asking a question like that, then call him Seaweed Brain and explain all that herself. Annabeth. Gods he needed to get her to a medic quickly.

"Alright, Maddy, you don't mind riding with the Guardians, do you?" he asked. In Maddy's wide, excited eyes, Percy could see a hint of the young six-year-old and not the aged demigod.

"Of course!" she chirped. Percy sent Bunnymund a look that said, 'you don't mind, do you?' Bunny looked at the young demigod. Then his shook his head. No, he didn't mind. Although they had never before seen each other (other than Iris Messages) Percy could tell Bunny was already starting to like Maddy. Maybe it was because she had said Bunny was her favorite Guardian out of the five.

"So, how do we get to Olympus, anyway?" Tooth asked.

"Just meet me by the Empire State building," said Percy.

Pitch started stirring and Percy's eyes landed on him. The Guardians got their weapons ready just in case. Percy grabbed his pen and Maddy her dagger. Nico was the only one who was at ease. Pitch looked around. Then he stood slowly and backed away, his eyes not leaving the Guardians. He stepped into the shadows He didn't say anything but the look in his eyes said enough. His eyes held an expression that Jack thought he would never see on the Nightmare King's face: sorrow. Then he disappeared.

xXx

When everyone walked outside, the Guardians crawled into the sleigh. Jack carried Jamie as Maddy walked alongside them. North whispered the destination into the snow globe. Just as it did earlier, the Empire State appeared in the middle of the glass ball as North threw it. Then, North, Bunny, Tooth, Maddy, Jack, Jamie and Sandy flew through the portal that would take them to New York.

"What about us?" Nico asked.

"I'll get us a ride," said Percy. Nico hated it when he said that. He knew what Percy was going to do. "You don't mind riding Pegusi again, do you?" Nico shook his head. "…Didn't think so."

"No, I'll be fine…if you can convince them to let me ride them." The Pegusi and Nico don't really get along. That was probably because it was_ Poseidon _who created Pegasus, and not Hades. For the same reason Percy can't fly, Nico has a hard time riding Pegusi.

"I got that covered," said Percy. "I'll just need a peace offering. A sugar cube, perhaps. Blackjack should be around here somewhere…" Just then, the black Pegasus emerged from the bushes. He whinnied cautiously at Nico. "I know, I know. But we need to get the Olympus, quickly," said Percy. Then Blackjack's eyes landed on Annabeth, who was lying in Percy's arms unconscious. The horse bobbed his head in anger. He whinnied. A few minutes later, two other Pegusi few toward the demigods and landed next to Percy. Percy smiled and patted Blackjack's neck. "Thanks," he said. It took them a few minutes, but they finally managed to secure Annabeth onto Blackjack's back to where she would not fall off. Nico put his Aviator's jacket on Blackjack so that Annabeth would have something to lie on and no blood would get on the horse. Percy managed to convince one of the white Pegusi to let Nico ride him (though it seemed that Percy wasn't going to have any dessert of the next couple of months) and Percy mounted on the other Pegasus.

Considering that they were still in the woods, the two of them rode to a nearby clearing. Percy looked at Nico with a crazy grin on his face. "Well. Olympus. Allons-y," he said. With that, the Pegusi flew into the air and headed towards the gods' home at top speeds that made Nico glad he hasn't eaten yet. If he had, the cities below them would probably not appreciate it.

The sun was a little lower than its halfway point, so Nico guessed it was around 3:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Finally, Percy voiced the question that had been bouncing around in his head for a while. "How did you know to come help us?"

Nico sighed. This is what he said…

xXx

Nico was walking around in an alleyway in California when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mother Nature materialize behind him. Nico scoffed. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I like to keep my distance," she said.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I - we - need your help."

Nico paused. Nature would never ask a favor from him unless it was serious. "What do you need my help with?" he asked.

Nature explained about her visit with Percy and the other Guardians. Then she explained her plan. "You are the only one who can really help him," she finished.

"I thought you didn't want to defeat Pitch," Nico pointed out.

"I didn't want to _kill_ him. He is still my father. But this way, I don't think we have to."

Nico thought about it. "I'm in," he said.

xXx

"…After that, we went to get Maddy and here we are," he said.

"You can now officially say you've been abducted by a goddess like me and Jason," said Percy.

"She asked my permission first. At least it wasn't Hera." Just then, thunder boomed across the sky. Percy rolled his eyes. "What about you?" Nico asked. "How did you know about the Guardians?"

"It's kind of confusing, even to me," said Percy. "How much do you know about their world?"

"More than you probably think."

"You know about the Man in the Moon, don't you?"

"Let me guess, he chose you to help defeat Pitch."

"Yeah."

"Percy, do you know what this means?" Nico asked.

"Uh…no," Percy said.

"It means you are a part of our Greek world, but also of their world."

"My job is done. Pitch is good now. I'm planning on going to Camp Jupiter and having an early retirement with Annabeth." The idea of a demigod Percy's age having an early retirement was so ridiculous, Percy wanted to laugh. Even Nico managed a smile. But it quickly faded.

"You can't say no to this, Percy. Have you figured out your center?"

"I have a slight idea…" he explained his theory. "Is that possible?"

"Of course. You've figures it out. That's your center."

Percy shook his head. "But like I've said before; my life it too complicated with one world of magic and gods. The last thing I need is to be in another world."

"Percy, in their world, the moon is like a god. He is their leader. He chose _you_ to become a Guardian. It is your destiny now."

"I'm not even immortal," Percy protested.

"You don't have to be immortal. It _helps_ but you don't have to be immortal to help or rescue kids."

The rest of the flight was knocked into silence.

xXx

When the sleigh flew through the portal, North landed it by the entrance of the Empire State. Nobody seemed to notice them though, which was fine with Jack. He didn't want to have to explain what a giant sleigh and reindeer were doing in the middle of New York.

Sandy had fallen asleep by now, Maddy was talking to Bunny about her, Percy's and Nico's world, Tooth was giving orders to her mini fairies and North was feeding his reindeer. Jack didn't know where he got the feed, but he guessed he kept it nearby for times like this. Jack was sitting by Jamie, who was still knocked out. He was absent mindedly playing with a snowflake he'd created, which was the ultimate sign that showed that he was bored. Bunny noticed him, walked over to the winter spirit and sat down next to him.

"Long day, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied, though he continued fiddling with the snowflake."

"What do you think they want with us; the gods I mean."

Jack shrugged. "Before I met Percy, I didn't even know they existed, let alone talked to them."

"But you read about them," Bunny said. "What I'm confused about is, out of a thousand libraries full of books, you choose the ones on Greek Mythology. Why?"

"Greek isn't the only thing I read about. There is also Egyptian, Indian, Cherokee, and a lot of others. But, yes, I do find myself reading Greek more often. I don't know why. I guess I just find it more…fascinating."

Bunny smiled. "Well that fascination came in handy, didn't it?"

Jack laughed, then he looked at Jamie and his humor was replaced with concern. "I hope he will be ok," he said.

"The Hudson River is right over there. Maybe if you splash some water on his face, he'll wake up," said Bunny.

Jack thought about it. "I'll try that. Be right back," he said, as he grabbed Jamie and flew to the river.

Jack lay Jamie down at the water's edge. Just before he reached his hands into the water, he saw something quite strange. It was a face looking up at him from the water. His face raggedy and algae covered most of it. His eyes were a bright blue.

"Who are you?" Jack asked.

"I'm the water spirit of the Hudson River," the face said. "Just call me Hudson. But the question that should be asked is who are _you?_ You don't look familiar and yet I can tell you are some kind of spirit."

"I'm…Jack Frost, the spirit of winter."

"Humph. Do you have a sand dollar handy?"

"Uhh…no," Jack said.

"Figured. The last demigod to come into these waters was one of Poseidon's kids. At least _he_ had the decency to bring us a sand dollar."

"You mean Percy?" Jack asked surprised. "He went in _there_?" Jack had trouble picturing that. Sure he had cool water powers, but if Percy swam in there, than how was he still able to breath? The water was so polluted; he figured the fish didn't even hang around in that area.

"Bah, I don't know. He didn't give his name. All I know is, he cracked a sand dollar and I became clean. At least for a little while. Being clean doesn't last here."

Jack had no idea what he river spirit was talking about. "What are you here for?" he asked.

Hudson looked around. "I sensed someone oddly different by my river that I didn't recognize. I wanted to check it out. I don't see anyone else here so I guess it was you, unless it was that kid over there." He gestured to Jamie.

"Uh, sorry if I bothered you. I just wanted to borrow some of your water, if you don't mind. Then I will be on my way," said Jack.

Hudson watched him for a while. "Alright, go ahead. But next time you come, would it kill you to bring a sand dollar?"

"I'll…see what I can do."

"Thanks." The river spirit nodded then disappeared. Jack shook his head and cupped his hands into the water. He dripped a little of the water on Jamie and the boy started coughing. He sat up straight.

"Jack!" he yelled.

"I'm right here, don't worry," Jack said. He grabbed Jamie's hand and pulled him into a hug. Despite Jack's cold body, Jamie relaxed a little.

"Pitch…Nightmares. There was a girl there two. I-I think her name was Annabeth? Jack, I was so scared. Then Pitch came over to me and…and I don't remember after that." The boy started crying. It pained Jack to see him like that. He ran a hand through Jamie's hair.

"Don't worry. You're safe now. Pitch won't come after you again. I swear."

Jamie pulled himself out of the hug. "What about the girl I saw? Where is she?" he asked.

"Annabeth and Percy are on their way." Jack replied. He didn't want to lie and say that Annabeth was fine.

"Jack, where are we?"

Jack smiled. "We're in New York City," he said.

Jamie's eyes widened. "New York City? I've never been to New York. Why are we in New York?"

"It doesn't really matter. I'll take you back home when I can. Right now, we need to get back to the Empire State Building and meet up with Percy. You ready to go?" Jamie nodded then Jack grabbed him under the arms and leaped into the sky.

xXx

When Jack and Jamie landed in the sleigh, Maddy walked up to them. "Who are you?" she asked Jamie.

"I'm Jamie. And you are?"

Maddy giggled. "I'm Maddy. Nice to meet you," she said.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but I think Percy and Nico are back," said Tooth. She pointed to the sky. Sure enough, three Pegusi were descending from the sky.

Jamie looked at them in wonder. "What _are _they?" he asked.

"They are Pegusi. They are winged hoses created by the Greek god Poseidon," she said.

"So, Greek Mythology is real?" Jamie asked.

"Yep,"

"Ok."

When the Pegusi landed, Percy and Nico dismounted. Nico's face was a sickly shade of green. He ran over to the nearest trash can and threw up.

"What's his problem?" North asked.

"He's…not a big fan of Pegusi," Percy replied. He walked over to Annabeth's Pegasus and carried her. When Nico came back, he looked a little better. He grabbed his Aviators jacket and slid it back on.

"So, how do we get in?" Jack asked.

"I'll show you," said Percy. He turned and led the Guardians through the doors. The man behind the desk looked up when he heard their footsteps coming toward him. One look at Percy told him all he needed to know. Without question, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a key. He handed it to Percy. Percy grabbed the key and walked to the elevator. He turned.

"Well?" he asked. Everyone followed.

xXx

Five Guardians, three demigods, a twelve-year old boy and a wounded daughter of Athena can make a small elevator very crowded, very quickly. Luckily, the music had improved since the Giant war. Today, it was playing 'It's A Small World After All'. Yeah, since the war, Apollo had been placed in charge of the music. By the time the doors slid open, a thick layer of ice covered every inch of the speakers. No one complained.

Olympus was beyond amazing. The grass was so green. Pathways led off into different directions. The salad bar stood by the cobblestone path that led to the throne room. On one end, a path led to a humongous building that had an assortment of rainbow colored, flashing lights. Even from all the way over here, dancing music could be heard. Dotting the mountain were huge statues of the gods. Oddly, their eyes followed the group as they walked.

"Annabeth has been doing an awesome job, hasn't she?" Nico asked.

"Wait, _she made _this?" Jack asked in awe. He had never, in his three hundred and seventeen years of his existence, seen something as big, bright and beautiful.

Nico looked back at Jack with a crazy grin on his face. "Yeah. After the Titan war a couple years ago, Olympus got destroyed. Annabeth got the privilege of redesigning it.

"This is _amazing,"_ Jack said. "It's unbelievable how she did this stuff.

"Yeah, yeah, it's cool. Now can we please change the subject?" Percy asked. Jack looked at Annabeth, who Percy was carrying with his strong arms.

"Oh."

xXx

When they opened the door to the throne room, twelve people were staring at them while they sat on throne –like chairs. Well, they weren't necessarily _people_; more like giants. Each throne looked different, like the cabins at camp. Only, there weren't as many thrones as there were cabins. One throne was covered in green, grape vines. Sitting on it was a man in a loud, leopard shirt with a lazy expression on his face. On the opposite end was a young girl with auburn hair and a black hunters' uniform. At her side was a silver bow and arrow. Her throne was covered in large, animal pelts, one of which looked like a giant rabbit's. Something told Jack that it wasn't a Pooka's fur, but he still decided not to point that out to Bunnymund.

The thrones made a 'U' shape around the room. In the center of the 'U' was a man in a business suit. His hair looked like he had stuck his finger on an electrical volt and tried to brush it out before the meeting. His expression looked like a mix of seriousness and just plain anger. Sitting beside him was a man in a Hawaiian Tee shirt and khaki shorts. Beside him was a tall fishing rod. His throne looked oddly like a fisherman's chair. Jack looked at the fisherman, then at Percy, then back at the fisherman.

"You're Poseidon, aren't you?" Jack finally asked. "Percy's dad." Even without the family resemblance, Jack could tell the man was someone who loved water. All Jack had to do was put two and two together.

Poseidon smiled. "You are quite smart for your age," he said. His voice matched his kind, ocean-blue eyes.

Jack's cheeks became paler; which Percy took as his version of a blush. "317 years gives you a _lot_ of free time."

"Can we get on topic here?" a woman asked. She wore a white, Greek styled dress and her eyes were the same color as Annabeth's. Her throne was gray as well, with owl carvings on the side.

"Right," said Poseidon. "First, I would like to start off by congratulating the Guardians for succeeding on their mission to defeat Pitch. And congratulations to our demigods for stepping up and helping. For that reason, we would like to reward you."

Five items shimmered into existence next to each of the Guardians. North received a small golden statue of a wrapped Christmas present. Engraved on it was the word, _Wonder_. Bunny received a beautiful Easter egg made of the same golden material as North's statue. Engraved on the egg was the word _Hope_. For Toothiana, since teeth were so small, she was given a golden statue of three little teeth that said, _Remember_. Jack's reward was a thin statue of a perfectly carved snowflake. It looked almost real, aside from its golden color. On its front was the word _Fun_. As for Sandy, his gift was the only one that wasn't golden. Instead, it was a clear, silver statue of a little girl with frizzy hair riding a unicorn. On the unicorn was the word, _Dream._ The silver color of Sandy's gift made sense to Jack. Why give gold to a man who was almost made of golden sand? Even Maddy and Nico got medals; Nico for his strength and Maddy for her medical abilities. Jaime got a golden snow ball.

That left Percy and Annabeth.

"What about Annabeth?" Percy demanded. Jack may have only been here for a few minutes, but he figured speaking like that to the gods was either a very brave thing to do, or a very stupid thing to do. "You said to bring her here, otherwise I would have gone straight to camp to get her to a medic.

The woman on the owl throne (Annabeth's mom, Jack guessed) closed her eyes. Jack could tell that the words she spoke were painful for her to say, but their affect was even worse to hear: "No medicine can save her."

Nico and Maddy, who have known Percy longer, could feel his anger boiling a second before Jack could. They ran towards Percy and grabbed his shoulders to hold him back.

"Percy, calm down. We'll…we'll think of something. Gods, where's Piper when you need her?" Maddy asked.

"Annabeth," Percy managed. Tears were pouring from his eyes. He fell to his knees and started sobbing. Nico patted his back awkwardly.

"Percy," Poseidon's voice was calm and soothing. "There is still one more way to save her."

Percy looked up at him. "What?"

"The council has voted and it shall be done," Zeus said.

"What shall be done?" Percy questioned.

Athena smiled for the first time since the group walked into the throne room. "Annabeth, my daughter, will become immortal," she said.

"Immortal?" Maddy asked.

"Yes," the huntress said. "Percy, do you agree? Be warned, the offer does not apply to you. If she becomes a goddess, you will stay mortal."

Percy closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and laid Annabeth on the ground in front of him. "It will save Annabeth. Of course I agree," he said, though the heartbreak was clear in his voice. Just then, a golden glow surrounded Annabeth. The dried blood on her skin began to sink back into her body. Some of it was turning a golden color before disappearing. Her scars, cuts, and bruises began to close and fade. Her hair seemed to shampoo the dirt and blood out on its own leaving her honey-blond hair looking clean and silky. The marks on her ankles and wrists disappeared. The light began to glow brighter and brighter.

"Look away," Nico said. The demigods closed their eyes and Maddy covered Jaime's. When the light died, Annabeth was lying on the floor, unharmed and beautiful. She now radiated an aura of power Jack was sure she hadn't had before. Finally, the intense gray orbs that were her eyes snapped open. She looked around, a little disoriented. She saw the Guardians, Bunny, Jack, North, Tooth and Sandy. She saw Maddy, Nico and Jaime standing off to the side. She turned to see all the gods looking down at her, some of them smiling. All eyes in the room were on her, which made Annabeth feel a little self-conscious.

"What?" she asked. She looked around again and her eyes fell on Percy. Gods he looked horrible. Tearstains covered his shirt and his hair was even more messed up than usual. His green eyes were puffy, which gave more evidence of crying. He looked like he was on the verge of sobbing again. But Annabeth could see something else in his eyes; hope.

Annabeth decided that something shocking had just happened, and judging by the look on everyone's face, she could tell that 'something' had succeeded. And judging by the way everyone was staring at her…

"Oh gods," she said. She looked down and yelped. Her body looked perfect; not as much as a cut on her skin. That was impossible. The last thing she remembered was Pitch cutting her open like a pumpkin on Halloween. "How long have I been out?" she asked.

"A few hours, maybe," said Tooth, her voice was small. A couple of hours? How could she have healed this much in that short amount of time?

Suddenly, Nico gasped. "Annabeth, your …your hair," he stammered. Annabeth didn't understand what he meant. Percy looked at Annabeth with a confused expression. Then his eyes became wide with shock. He gestured to a strand of her hair. Annabeth grabbed her hair and examined it. She gasped. A single strand of her now perfect, blond hair had been turned to gray.

"What is going on?" she asked. She was getting a little scared now.

"Annabeth," Athena said gently. "You are a goddess now."

"A…a what?"

"You are immortal," said Nico.

When Annabeth finally got over her shock after a few minutes, her mind automatically raced to one thing.

"And Percy?" she said hopefully, but something in their expression answered her question. "Oh," she said. Then she stood up and ran towards Percy, attacking him in a hug. His arms wrapped around her. He held her tightly, as though he would never let go.

"Why can't Percy become a god as well?" North asked. Sandy crossed his arms.

"We gave him the offer twice before. Both times he didn't accept," said Zeus. He sounded a little bitter. "The first time, he made us claim our children."

"Claim…?" Jack asked.

"It doesn't matter," North said.

"The second time, he just replied with 'the time isn't right'," Zeus continued. Percy and Annabeth were locked in a world where only they existed so they had no idea what people were saying around them.

Nico nudged Maddy and whispered, "He only denied their offer because he wanted to be with Annabeth." The whisper was so low that no one seemed to hear. But Bunnymund always did have the best hearing, what with his giant rabbit ears. Suddenly, all the resentment that Bunny had for Percy, vanished. This boy, this strong, powerful son of Poseidon, denied the gods' offer of being forever young and healthy, just so he could be with the one he loved. To Bunny, that was a very brave move. Percy had gained Bunny's respect and he now thought of Percy as a good ally. Not quite 'friend' just yet. Bunny thought of this as he looked at the golden egg in his paws.

Finally, Percy and Annabeth let go of each other. Percy turned to the gods. "I have something to announce," he said. "I figured out my center."

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"How?" North asked.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"When we were in Pitch's lair, it nearly killed me seeing Annabeth hurt. I flooded the place out of hatred, and anger. I wanted to save my friends. I was loyal to them. That's my center. My fatal flaw is my greatest aspect. I am the Guardian of loyalty."

The Guardians clapped in celebration but Annabeth blinked in amazement. "That is probably the most intelligent thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth, Seaweed Brain" she said.

"So now there's Hope, Wonder, Dreams, Memories, Fun and Loyalty. Good group," said Nico.

"I guess I stand corrected when I said that loyalty will become your downfall," Athena said, though her expression looked like she swallowed a lemon.

Annabeth smiled. "What now?" she asked

"Later on, I will show you all you need to know about being a goddess," said Athena. "But for now, my daughter, go have fun with your friends."

Annabeth smiled weakly at all the gods and bowed. "Thank you," she said.

As they were leaving, an idea formed in Jack's mind and he stopped dead in his tracks. He had a mischievous smile on his face as he turned to the gods.

"Lord Zeus," he started. "What would you say is better; Christmas, or Easter?"

North and Bunny turned at the mention of their holidays. They too were interested to hear who the king of the gods preferred.

Zeus looked between the two of them with a poker face. Finally, he answered, "Groundhog Day." Everyone smiled as the two Guardians argued over what he meant. Their feud will never end. But that was fine. That was just them being them.

**A.N.**

**One more chapter and this story will be over. It is official. This is the second to last chapter. Honestly, I don't remember if there are any DW references, but I could have rewritten it to make some, I don't remember. If you find one, good. If not, well, I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry.**

**Oh gods. I just realized something. The prophecy says "An oath to keep with a final breath", right? Percy promises to stay with Annabeth so they can be together at the end of Mark of Athena when they fall, right? What if that is what the prophecy line means? Percy will die trying to keep that promise. Oh gods. Oh gods *begins to sob* Spoiler, by the way, if you haven't read MoA yet.**

**Ok, so the whole point of the story was to **_**help**_** Pitch in a way. Get the ghosts out of him because it was actually **_**because **_**of**_** t**_**hem**__**that he was doing all those horrible things. When I read how Pitch was made, I almost wanted to cry for him. But he is good now so I am happy with that.**

**SomeRandomPerson**: I don't care if you reviewed late, I am just happy you reviewed! :D Funny thing, when you said Nico wasn't there, my first thought was, "maybe that's because he is currently leading five other demigods to Greece and trying to defeat the Giants. You see, I had already finished writing this chapter and I completely forgot that I didn't post it. I read the review again and thought, 'oh'. :)

**theHuntress101: **Nico was the only one I could think of that would be able to get rid of the spirits inside Pitch and Jamie.

**Ice Wolf Fang: **In all honestly, I couldn't agree more. I just, can't think of anything more to put.

**Clio: **I'm sorry I made you sick. But honestly, Annabeth has been through worse. On the Last Olympian she took a poisoned knife to save Percy. I wanted to torture Annabeth because I figured if anything could make Percy angry, it would be Annabeth being tortured. There were no Doctor Who references in this chapter, or at least I didn't intentionally make them. I laughed when I read your 'fantastic' review. I can't wait to see you in the next chapter. Allons-y.

**Turkeyhead987: ***smiles* I am glad you liked the chapter. Technically, the world would drown. Good thing I got my floaties just in case. And my rubber ducky. *quack, quack*

I am glad your guns are down now. Although, if it were me, I would probably use a sonic screwdriver, or a pen. But, you do you.

I'm glad you're not mad at me. No, I'm not dead. I am perfectly healthy. Dang it. I don't have a funny pun to put here. Oh well. You get the idea. And with the whole Torchwood thing, I agree with you. My friend tried to get me to watch it so I did. I didn't really get into it though. But Honestly, I didn't get into Doctor Who until I watched some more episodes, so I tried Torchwood again. I didn't get past the second episode. I mean I love Jack, I just don't think he's a good main character for a show.

**Winged Werewolf of the Night: **One, 'Are you my mommy?' is a quote from Doctor Who. I was joking. Two, if you don't like cliffhangers, you will probably not like me very much. :)

**Thanks to: Binglebop, gamelover41592, LizDilaurentis, shalalalalalala**


	10. Epilogue

**Chapter 10: ****Epilogue**

When they got outside again, North said goodbye to everyone and flew his sleigh through the portal. Tooth hugged Percy, wished Annabeth luck with her new immortality and flew off to her realm. Bunny bent down and hugged Maddy before he jumped down his own hole. Sandy saluted as he formed an airplane out of gold and flew off. That left Annabeth, Nico, Maddy Jack Jaime and Percy. Everyone seemed to be in such good spirits. Even Percy and Annabeth seemed to be enjoying each other's company; holding hands and smiling. Jack was about to fly off when Percy grabbed his shoulders.

"Hey man, why don't you come to Camp with us? You know, hang out, celebrate, be in one place for a while," he said. Jack looked around. Nico was nowhere to be seen and Maddy was sitting atop her Pegasus, waiting for Percy and Annabeth. Jaime, though, stood by Jack.

"Thanks, but I will later," Jack said. "I need to take Jaime home then I have something I need to sort out…"

**xXx**

Aundraia woke up in her bed and immediately grabbed her phone. She sighed. Nothing. Yesterday at school, her crush had said he'd call her sometime that weekend. Aundraia wished he'd been more specific, like what day this weekend? What time? Morning or afternoon? Waiting like this was aggravating torture. Every time her phone so much as hummed, it would automatically be in her hand. At one point, she jumped in surprise when her phone beeped and she immediately grabbed it, her heart pounding, until she realized it was just low battery. She mumbled as she went to charge it.

Aundraia got up and changed into some warm day clothes. She slipped her phone safely into her jeans pocket and went downstairs for breakfast. In the living room, the TV was left on, but paused. On the screen was a man in a brown trench coat and spiky hair. Next to him was a girl with darker skin, and black hair. She wore jeans and a fitted, red, leather jacket. Behind them was a big, box painted blue. One of her little brother's dumb shows, Aundraia guessed. Speaking of the kid, Billie had beaten her to the kitchen table and was retelling all his _wonderful_ stories about his imaginary North Pole and the invisible Jack Frost to his mom.

Their Mom's name was Mrs. Smith. She worked as a cashier for a jewelry store at the mall, which always meant good Christmas and Birthday presents for Aundraia. Anyway, the store was closed for now (being remodeled or something), which gave Mom a couple days of break from hard work. She sat quietly in her chair and smiled as she listened to Billie tell how Jack Frost could make magic snowballs that, when thrown, could put a person in a great mood, no matter what. Apparently, he did that exact thing to one of the neighborhood bullies, Cupcake, and now she was a part of Billie's group of friends.

"Of course, we didn't know it was Jack who threw the snowball at the time. Nobody saw him," said Billie.

"What do you mean, 'nobody saw him'?" Mom asked. By now, Aundraia had made a bowl of cereal and had sat down across from her brother.

"When it comes to the Guardians, if you don't believe in them, they are invisible to you. You can't touch, hear or see them. To you, they don't exist." Aundraia didn't like the way Billie was looking at her as he spoke. But in her mind, she was thinking, 'well that's a bit harsh'. For a moment, she thought about how hard it would be go through life being ignored completely. Aundraia knew what it was like to be ignored intentionally. It happened to her almost every day at school. But at least people knew she was there, that she existed. She shook herself out of her trance before she could exaggerate even further. She scolded herself for feeling pity for one of her brother's imaginary friends.

"Billy," she said slowly. "There's no such thing as Jack Frost, or the Easter Bunny, or Santa or any of those fictions. They are just your imagination. If you go into Middle School thinking that they are real, the kids will tear you up alive," she said. She stood up and put her half eaten bowl of cereal by the sink for her mother to do later. "Grow up now, before you get hurt later."

As she walked towards the front door, she heard Billie mumble, "If only she knew." Something told Aundraia that he was not talking to Mom. She rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut behind her.

xXx

As she walked outside into the cool air, she nearly tripped over a puddle of water from the snowfall they had had a few days ago. She cursed under her breath as she regained her balance then continued walking. That's when she heard a faint, crackling noise. She turned just in time to see the puddle of water freeze into solid ice. She stared at it in shock until she realized that that the temperature had dropped since she had been outside. She heard another crackling sound again, and again as puddles started turning to ice all around her. That's when she realized that it was only in _her _yard that this was happening.

"What?" she asked herself. She heard a sound that was fairly similar, but was a bit different somehow. She turned to see a window of her house cover its self in thick layer of frost. As though someone were drawing on it, the letters B-E-L-I-E-V-E appeared one by one. Aundraia stared at it transfixed. She started backing away slowly. She had planned on turning and running, but she slipped again and fell backwards. A pair of strong, freezing hands caught her under the arms and helped her back to her feet. She turned to see a guy, about her age, with snow white hair and icy blue eyes. His skin was so pale; it looked like he'd slept outside during a blizzard. His blue hoody was covered in delicate frost designs. His light brown pants looked old and were ripped at the shins. His pale feet were bare. In his hands he held a long, wooden staff that hooked at the top. Where his hand touched the wood was coated in frost. His face held a goofy smile.

"You know, you really should watch where you step," he said. "This was the second time you tripped, that I saw at least."

"Who _are _you?" Aundraia managed.

"I'm Jack Frost, one of Billie's friends."

"Impossible! Jack Frost is imaginary, created by my brother's imagination. You can't be real."

"And yet, here I am, talking to you." He looked up at the setting sun. "It's about time I left." He started backing away now. "Tell Billie I said hi, will ya?" With that he jumped into the sky. Aundraia expected him to fall to the ground, but instead, the wind caught him. He flew higher and higher into the air until the clouds blocked her view of him.

Just then, her phone buzzed and beeped, but Aundraia didn't hear. She stared, her eyes glued to the spot where Jack had left her line of vision.

**Jack's PoV**

I arrived at Camp Half-Blood to find Percy and Annabeth sitting beside each other at a picnic table in the dining pavilion. There were hundreds of kids at the surrounding tables, but the two of them had a table all to themselves. I found Maddy sitting at a table with kids that looked similar to her; same hair, same eyes. Jack guessed that they were her relatives.

Seeing as how Percy and Annabeth had the least crowed table, and I actually knew them, I sat down next to them. As I walked in, I got some odd stairs and people started whispering to their neighbors. I couldn't see Nico anywhere.

When Percy saw me, he smiled. "Sw ewu gew ebide da hundry okn?" he asked his mouth full of food.

"What?" I asked. Annabeth nudged him and he swallowed.

"So you got inside the boundary ok?" he repeated more clearly.

"Oh, yeah. What did I miss?" I asked.

"We'd just told everyone about my new immortality," said Annabeth.

"Did you tell them about the quest?"

"We…summarized it for them. We didn't say anything about your world or Mother Nature or anything like that," said Percy. "Some things are better left unsaid."

"So, they don't know I'm…" I lowered my voice to a whisper. "…Jack Frost?" Percy shook his head. I leaned back in my chair and looked around. Everyone was still staring at me. "How can everyone see me?" I asked. I was beginning to feel self-conscious.

"Demigods can see through the Mist easier than mortals can," Percy replied.

"Mist? What mist?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy. "Seaweed Brain," she mumbled. Then she turned to Jack. "The Mist is this magic vale the gods created to keep the mortals from seeing the Greek magic. It manipulates their vision to make them see something they can better understand, which is just about anything…besides the truth."

"One time, mortals mistook my hellhound for a poodle," said Percy.

I remembered reading about hellhounds at a library somewhere in Nevada. They were these huge dogs as big as sky scrapers. Maybe I'm over exaggerating a little, but they _were_ huge. If I remembered correctly, they were usually mastiffs.

Annabeth nudged Percy again. "He's not going to understand what you are talking about," she said.

"You have a Hellhound for…never mind." I said.

Annabeth looked surprised that I knew what a Hellhound was then she shook her head. "There are some sentences I need just to keep away from."

Percy smiled then turned to me. "Usually they come from the underworld, but I have one living here at Camp."

"That's…interesting," I said.

We continued to talk more about gods, and demigods, until suddenly; all talking that was going on minutes before at the other tables ceased. The sentence Percy had started trailed off as he, Annabeth and pretty much everyone in the pavilion stared at me in shock. Percy's mouth hung open. Then I realized they weren't staring _at_ me; they were staring _above_ me. I looked up and yelped. Above my head was a brown, holographic image of a medical caduceus with snakes intertwined on it. I heard Chiron's familiar, rough voice say, "Hail Jackson Overland; son of Hermes."

**A.N**

**Aaaaaaaaamnnnnnnd done! This is the last chapter. I am working on the first chapter of the next story, but I don't think I am going to publish it for another year. Yep. Got some things to do. Busy, busy bee. Ok, I am joking. I would never intentionally wait that long to update. Besides, I am not like…another author who would be that cruel. I am not mentioning any names. The point is, the only time this story will be updated is when I update it with the link to the sequel of this story. It will be called 'The Demigod Guardian' if you are wondering.**

**There have been a lot of questions about Percabeth; will Percy become immortal, will he be able to be with Annabeth, stuff like that. My answer: No. Not in this story. But there is a sequel coming out soon. I am not making any promises, saying yes or no, but you might want to check it out when you see it. **

**Oh, My gods. I am so excited. I saw the OFFICAL sea of Monsters trailer. I am so excited because it looks like they are really trying to clean up their mess with the lightning thief. It is so cool. More gods, more danger, and closer to the real story line. I did see that the manticore will make an appearance, but that's the only thing I saw that really bothered me. The trailer makes the movie look like it is gana be fantastic! Oh Fantastic! The trailer is on YouTube.**

**Aundraia is the girl from the first chapter that didn't believe the Guardians. I thought it would be cool if I made that change.**

**Just as a reminder, would you check out the poll in my profile? It would help me a lot. Thanks. **

**Replies: (I am not going to do as many replies because I don't want to give any more spoilers for the next story)**

**Annabeth Brady: **Hey! I know how you feel. I had to take a break as well for like a month. Not fun. Anyway, you just confirmed something for the sequel. Thanks for that. And just so you know, I love your rambling.

**Turkeyhead987: **I said this a thousand times before, I know, but I want to say it one last time before I quit this story forever: I LOVE reading your reviews. I has having a great day and your review was the chary on top of the ice cream. Annabeth is immortal. That is a fact. Percy is mortal. That is a fact. Why would you throw the gun away? You could have given it to the mortals who don't know of a better weapon. This is the last Chapter. What did you think? What you expected, or did I surprise you again? For doctor who: I put a reference in there. PERCY SAID ALLONS-Y on the way to Olympus. I hope you were satisfied with the dw references I used here. I know for a fact I used two, but I don't remember what the second one was. Gods, I hope I put two. And with Percy's sacrifice, it seems to make the most sense. But GODS OF OLYMPUS if he kills off either one of the two, or Nico, I will personally get my sonic screwdriver, pen, take the gun out of the garbage, grab a torch, a shield, sonic probe, bow and arrow, meet up with you and we will ATTACK! But we will need cookies first. Cant invade an author's house, force him to write a better ending (or send him to the Underworld the hard way) on an empty stomach. I just realized how violent that sounded. *shrugs*

**K: **Hey, another Whovian! Yay! My all time fav Doctor is Ten. Gods, I love David. He did such an amazing job. No offence to Christopher, (I can't spell to save my life) and Mat. They are both fantastically brilliant, but I luv David the most. What 'bout you?

**year-of-the-panda: **Thank you for your fantastic review. I loved reading it. I hope this stops the pain, at least for now, anyway. Geronimooooo!

**MagicGold34: **I wasn't trying to be over dramatic. I was just stating a theory I had. Anyway, I am glad you got caught up with my story. Now I reword you with the last chapter of the story. Hope you liked it *grins wickedly*

**Rkatp: **Well, someone told me recently that Frank is going to die because of his life line. And some other wibbley, wobbley stuff to go along with it, but that was the main idea. In all honestly, I am kind of hoping it is Frank, so Percy or Annabeth wont have to die, or Lio, or Nico. Curse you Riardian!

**selena1234: **:) Sorry I made you cry, I probably should have put a warning sign. I hope you liked the story.

**gamelover41592**: you complemented my story, so I thanked you. I always try to mention all my reviewers, weather it is thanking them or replying to them.

**MerthursFollower****:** Sorry, but I guess you will see Hades soon. This story does not have Percy as an immortal. But just wait for the Demigod Guardian.

**Clio: **I had just thought of the prophecy meaning when I was watching a Percabeth YouTube video. I started crying. I would loathe it if RR did that. But it seems to be the way we are headed in the series.

Onto Doctor who: I agree 100%! That, by far, was one of the scariest episodes EVER.

_Are you my mommy? Mommy. Mommy?_ Gods of Olympus, it was hard for me to even shower without thinking of that. The episode with the giant dolls singing 'tick tock' was creepy too. And don't even get me started on the Weeping Angles. Gahh! Oh and by the way, I lied in the comments. I did add one or two quotes into the chapter... if you noticed them. ;)

**ZeroLuver567: **Um, which one?

**Thanks to: ****binglebop, silvertrident, Cookie Frost Girl, **(cool pen name btw)** Ice Wolf Fang, Jennifer Snow and noaccount**


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